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Christian Koloko: the return after the storm

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Christian Koloko is another talent to watch closely this season. The 6’11” center will try to revive his career after a prolonged absence due to a serious health issue. He underwent surgery for a blood clot and has now been given the green light to return to the court on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. After being drafted by the Raptors, his career took a hit, but Koloko is ready to seize this second chance with determination.

The Douala native stood out for his defensive skills during his NCAA career, where he was a real wall. His 7-foot-10 wingspan and mobility make him a tough rim protector. In his final college season, he averaged 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks, earning him a spot on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year list. That defensive dominance will be crucial for the Lakers as they look to bolster their frontcourt.

Lakers News: Stan Van Gundy Compares JJ Redick To Steve Kerr

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Most in the position that Redick is in have struggled initially. Coaching is not easy and there are a lot of things that players don’t account for or know how to navigate. One of the few who saw immediate success and is now viewed as one of the best coaches in NBA history is Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Redick and Kerr were actually similar style players in their NBA careers and former NBA head coach Stan Van Gundy sees a lot of similarities between the two that could lead to success for Redick as a coach. Van Gundy compared Redick to Kerr, believing that the way they had to think the game will serve Redick well with the Lakers, via Khobi Price of the Southern California News Group:

“He’s somebody that really had to learn the game and rely on what he knew about the game and how to play it,” Van Gundy, who coached Redick in Orlando from 2007-12 and again in New Orleans in his final season as a player, told the SCNG. “It’s something he had to give a lot of thought to. NBA basketball is very hard for anyone playing it. It requires a lot of work, but some guys it requires more of to be able to compete at that level. And he’s certainly one of those guys.

“I think you can compare him to what Steve Kerr did. I think there’s a lot of similarities there.”

As Van Gundy noted, some players who aren’t as athletically gifted have to think about other things and do more in order to succeed at the NBA level and Redick and Kerr were two who did that. Kerr jumped straight to a head coach role with the Warriors with no prior experience as did Redick with the Lakers so it is easy to make the comparison.

Of course Kerr’s success has been tremendous, winning four NBA Championships in his 10 seasons at the helm and having the fourth-highest win percentage of any coach with at least 700 games coached. Redick coming close to that level of success would be a huge win for the Lakers and he will certainly put in all the work to try and make that happen.