Joel Embiid Doubts Lakers Are 'Perfect Situation' for JJ Redick: 'That's a Tough Job'

One of JJ Redick's former teammates expressed some doubt about what he's getting himself into as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

In an interview with David Marchese of the New York Times, Joel Embiid was asked about Redick taking the Lakers job:

"If I was him, I don't know if that's a perfect situation," Embiid said. "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."

Redick was a bit of an outside-the-box hire for the Lakers simply because he is coming into the role with no previous coaching experience. He has stayed around the game since his playing career ended, working as a broadcaster with ESPN and hosting multiple basketball podcasts, including one with LeBron James.

It's not like the pressure that comes with coaching both the Lakers and James is lost on Redick. He talked specifically about the championship-or-bust mentality associated with the job during his introductory press conference:

"Lastly, I just want to say, sitting in this seat, I know what the expectations are for the Lakers," he said. "The Lakers fans are some of the most passionate in the world, and the expectation is a championship. So it's my job, Rob's [Pelinka] job, all of us, to deliver a championship-caliber team. That's what I signed up for."

The Lakers are certainly betting on Redick to get more out of their roster than Darvin Ham did in his two seasons as head coach. They didn't make any significant changes to their group from last season in free agency.

Barring any trades between now and the start of the season, the Lakers will be going into 2024-25 with the same starting five that ended last season (James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura).

Los Angeles finished with a respectable 47-35 record, but the Western Conference's depth meant that was only good enough for the eighth-best mark and a spot in the play-in tournament. The Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans to earn the No. 7 seed in the playoffs where they lost to the Denver Nuggets.

Redick, who played with Embiid on the Philadelphia 76ers from 2017 to 2019, will look to break the streak of Lakers coaches who have been fired within three seasons of getting the job.

The last Lakers coach who made it to a fourth season with the club was Phil Jackson during his second stint with the organization from 2005 to 2011.

Since Jackson's retirement after the 2010-11 season, the Lakers have had eight different eight head coaches, including Redick. Luke Walton and Frank Vogel are the only two coaches from that group who made it through three full seasons.