Joel Embiid says what everybody’s thinking about JJ Redick coaching the Lakers

When Dan Hurley turned the Los Angeles Lakers down, it felt as if it was more of a matter of when, not if, JJ Redick would take over as their new head coach. Sure enough, soon after Hurley's rejection was made public, Redick had agreed to a deal to coach the Lakers.

Redick being hired by the Lakers was met with praise by some, but criticism by most. How exactly did this former player with no head coaching experience get the Lakers job of all teams? Did we not just see what Steve Nash, another former player with no coaching experience, did with the Brooklyn Nets?

It might sound like a great opportunity on the outside, but the reality is this Lakers job is not nearly as enticing as it seems on paper. Even Joel Embiid, a former teammate of Redick's on their days with the Philadelphia 76ers, wasn't shy in critiquing the decision made by Redick to join the Lakers in an interview with David Marchese of the New York Times (subscription required).

In fact, Embiid's criticism mirrors what many said when Redick took the job.

Joel Embiid said what everyone is thinking about JJ Redick taking Lakers job

"If I was him, I don’t know if that’s a perfect situation," Embiid told the New York Times. "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."

On one hand, Redick, someone with no coaching experience, being able to lead a team led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis is unbelievable. Redick has a relationship with LeBron already, and Davis is a star in his own right. He jumps right into a situation in which his team legitimately expects to win a championship immediately.

On the other hand, this Lakers job is, as Embiid says, not the perfect situation. Yes, LeBron is on it, but he's 39 years old. Even Davis is over 30 himself. As for the supporting cast, well, that leaves a lot to be desired.

The Lakers were a Play-In team this past season and lost in five games in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets. They've won just two playoff series' since winning the championship in 2019-2020, and both of those came in the 2022-23 campaign.

Darvin Ham was in his first season as Los Angeles' head coach in that 2022-23 season, leading them to the Western Conference Finals. He was fired after last season's early exit. He had just two seasons to prove himself and was forced out of the door when his team failed to win the championship after those two years.

Coaching Hall of Famers in LeBron and Davis is great, but that also comes with expectations, even if they're unrealistic, especially since Redick is coaching the Lakers, a team that expects to win every year. If Redick wins in his first year or two, great! If he fails to do so, though, then his seat becomes incredibly hot. He could, like Ham, be out of a head coaching job in short order.

Simply put, there's a lot of risk. Clearly, Redick is comfortable with it. His relationship with LeBron can't hurt in that regard. However, if LeBron retires in the next couple of years without winning another championship, Redick might be looking for another job sooner than he expected.