Joel Embiid has expressed his concerns about JJ Redick becoming the new head coach of the Lakers and has issued a cautionary statement.
Redick, who has no previous NBA coaching experience, has been appointed as the head coach in LA, a move that has raised eyebrows including Embiid’s.
“If I was him, I don’t know if that’s a perfect situation,” Embiid disclosed to 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.”
Throughout the last 13 years, no Lakers coach has managed to remain in charge for more than three seasons.
Former Warriors assistant coach and current Kings head coach, Mike Brown, was dismissed from the Lakers’ head coaching position just five games into his second season with the team back in 2012.
Reflecting on his tenure, Brown admitted he regrets taking on the role at the Lakers.
“If I could do it again,” Brown shared on All the Smoke podcast last year, “I probably wouldn’t.”
Nevertheless, Redick will only need to perform better than Darvin Ham’s 90-74 record during his time with the Lakers.
The former basketball player has high aspirations for the team and recognizes the pressure that comes with the job.
“…I just want to say, sitting in this seat, I know what the expectations are for the Lakers,” Redick stated during his introductory press conference in June. “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.”
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