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Joel Embiid Shares Opinion on JJ Redick’s Potential As Lakers Head Coach: ’Bound To Be Fired'
Joel Embiid shared his opinion on JJ Redick’s potential as the Lakers' head coach, sparking a discussion about the fit and future of the team under new leadership.
The Los Angeles Lakers have welcomed JJ Redick as their newly appointed 29th head coach, gifting him a spot in the team's illustrious team. The former NBA player, aged 40, has committed to the franchise through a four-year pact, which offers a yearly salary around the $8 million mark.
A wave of criticism has crashed over JJ Redick due to his unproven coaching skills. The fast-tracked ascension of Redick to the head coaching role has sparked doubts, famously from his ex-teammate Dudley. Dudley implied that people like Redick skipped the conventional trajectory to coaching positions.
However, Redick responded to the criticism, underscoring his concentration on supporting his team and targeting victories. He shrugged off the criticism, saying, "I don't give a fuck," highlighting his rich player experience as the groundwork for his coaching stint. Now, it's the turn of a star from the Philadelphia 76ers to weigh in on JJ Redick's appointment as the new Lakers coach.
Joel Embiid weighs in on JJ Redick's Lakers coaching challenge
During his chat with David Marchese of the New York Times, Joel Embiid commented on Redick securing the Lakers coach position. He noted, "If I was him, I don't know if that's a perfect situation."
Embiid continued, "Maybe he thinks that's a perfect situation. But if you're coming in, especially with a job like the Lakers, it's kind of a make-or-break situation, because if you succeed, great, you're going to be coaching for years. But if you don't succeed, those coaches are usually bound to be fired within a year or two. I love him, I'm happy for him, but that's a tough job.”
The Lakers' unorthodox choice of Redick arises from his lack of prior coaching experience. He preserved his interaction with the game, serving as a commentator for ESPN post his playing career and hosting numerous basketball podcasts, one of them featuring LeBron James.
Redick acknowledged the intense pressure associated with coaching the Lakers and James. During his welcoming press conference, he specifically discussed the win-it-all-or-wither-away mindset linked with the position.
Redick aims to elevate Lakers' performance amidst consistent roster and playoff challenges
The Lakers are looking to Redick to step up their game more than his predecessor, Darvin Ham, managed in his two-year stint as head coach. Free hasn't brought in any substantial to last season's crew.
With no trades on the horizon before the season kick-off, the Lakers are looking at a repeat of their 2024-25 starting line-up that wrapped up last season. The team includes James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura.
Despite having a worthy 47-35 record, the stacked Western Conference essentially positioned that as only good enough for the eighth-best ranking and a spot in the play-in tourney. The Lakers aced the New Orleans Pelicans to clinch the No. 7 spot in the playoffs, however, they fell to the Denver Nuggets.
Redick, a former Philadelphia 76ers teammate of Embiid from 2017 to 2019, is setting out to end the trend of Lakers' head coaches being sacked within three years of taking the reins.
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