“Stop the madness. You will regret this!” Rob Parker said when the Lakers were considering JJ Redick for the head coach role. And it wasn’t just Parker; many others echoed the same sentiment. Fast forward almost nine months, and suddenly, Redick changed that perception for the masses. With the so-called curse against the Nuggets finally broken, Stephen A. Smith made a bold claim.“JJ Redick, let me say this to America: the brother’s a candidate for Coach of the Year,” Stephen A. shared with his First Take audience. “He’s doing an outstanding job.” He further believes the Purple and Gold have what it takes to compete with the top teams in the West during the postseason tournament. The analyst didn’t hesitate to be the bigger man and apologize for his past views of criticizing the team. “Let me be the first to apologize to the Los Angeles Lakers. I did not see them being capable of that,” Stephen A. said on ESPN’s NBA Countdown.However, the Fox veteran wasn’t really convinced. Parker stated, “Topic about JJ Redick is owed an apology is absolutely ridiculous.” In fact, he felt, “Nobody owes him Jack” and justified his view on The Odd Couple. “It is not wrong for people to question the hiring of someone who has no experience, not even at the high school level, who has never been a coach in any circumstance,” Parker said. “So, that whole idea of people questioning it and doubting whether or not he could do it is totally legit.”Redick’s inexperience raised doubts about his eligibility to handle the responsibilities of a prestigious franchise like the Lakers, where the bar is already set high. Parker added, “If you want to give them an apology because they beat the Nuggets, who finally lost after nine straight wins, finally and the Lakers played great, finally. But no, nobody said, ‘I want JJ Redick fired.'”His co-host Kelvin Washington interrupted him at this point, reminding him that it was Parker who had said it. But Parker brushed it off and continued, “When they lost to Portland by 20 and what was the other game? At home? With Charlotte, in those games, you weren’t saying then, people owe him an apology when he lost those games. So, when they win one big game, nobody owes him an apology.” According to Parker, if the disappointing losses don’t count, then the wins should be treated the same way.He then gave a tall task to Redick, saying, “Let’s see what happens if they get knocked out in the first round. Then he’ll be no better than what Darvin Ham did.” Since Ham had led the team to the first round and was knocked out last season and eventually got fired, Parker told Redick to cross the first round of the playoffs, and then they could discuss owing him an apology.For much of the season, many believed the Lakers lacked the roster strength to make the playoffs. But clearly, that’s no longer the case. The confessions came after the Lakers’ dominant 123-100 victory over Denver. Having gone 0-9 straight against the Nuggets, they finally figured out the formula to not only beat them but to do it impressively.JJ Redick used a 68-year-old formula against the NuggetsFacing the Nuggets had become a nightmare for the Lakers recently, with nine consecutive losses. But Redick knew he had to overcome them. But how? That’s when old tricks came in handy. Confused? Well, a video on X has broken down the defensive strategy Redick used to hold back the Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, which was last spotted 68 years ago.In the clip, it was clear that the entire team focused on Jokic. Initially, Rui Hachimura limited Jokic’s movement, and then Austin Reeves came into the picture, blocking his path. Eventually, Redick had three defenders focused on him. To make this strategy work, they sagged off Westbrook, leaving him unguarded, to keep the focus on Jokic. This created a defensive wall around him, limiting his options and preventing him from making a play.How did the Lakers limit Jokic to a season-low 7 shots on Saturday night?A BRILLIANT defensive gameplan brought to you by JJ Redick and the staff (H/T @lilkobe2402)pic.twitter.com/mjyiCqJp83— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) February 24, 2025The person sharing the details of the video admitted, “That might be the craziest defensive possession I’ve seen since the 1957 National Championship game when North Carolina swarmed Wilt Chamberlain like this so he couldn’t catch it, daring his teammates to hit outside shots.”Even if Rob Parker has a hard time believing in JJ Redick’s coaching, the man has certainly proven himself in the league. He’s pushed the team to the fourth spot in the West, which is an impressive achievement in itself. Now, whether he can maintain this success and continue to shine in the postseason remains to be seen.The post Stephen A. Smith’s Major JJ Redick Reveal Dismissed by Fox Vet as Lakers HC’s 68YO Strategy Against Nuggets Leaks appeared first on EssentiallySports.