Joel Embiid’s Brutally Honest Take On Lakers Hiring JJ Redick

The Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to hire J.J. Redick as the franchise’s next head coach is one of the more polarizing things to happen this summer.

Reactions to L.A.’s move have been mixed. Some have applauded it, while others find it to be pretty ridiculous. And that’s to say nothing of the young woman who made a pretty serious allegation against Redick last month.

This week Embiid spoke with David Marchese of The New York Times about a variety of issues.

Among them: the Lakers’ decision to hire Redick.

“You played with JJ Redick. What do you think about his taking the Lakers job with no prior coaching experience?” Marchese asked.

“If I was him, I don’t know if that’s a perfect situation,” Embiid replied.

“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 odds looked to be stacked against Redick right now. He has made a request of Lakers ownership regarding one player they need to go out and get ASAP, but so far the answer has been crickets.

L.A.’s roster, as presently constructed, doesn’t look good enough to compete.

Redick has a lot of obstacles to overcome next year. But if he succeeds, he could have a long career in the NBA for many years to come.

Anthony Amador

A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school Games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.