The 2024 offseason will go down as the summer during which the Los Angeles Lakers gambled on first-year head coach JJ Redick. It's created a divided community of basketball fans, with some heralding his playing and analyst experience, and others discrediting them as qualifying traits.
One of Redick's most high-profile former teammates is the latest to chime in on the matter, and he's done so while playing alongside Lakers stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Redick played 15 NBA seasons, including the two best individual years of his career, with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged a career-best 18.1 points per game in 2018-19 while helping the 76ers win 51 games and come within a Kawhi Leonard miracle shot of the Conference Finals.
In an interview with David Marchese of The New York Times, 76ers star Joel Embiid spoke candidly about his former teammate and questioned if the Lakers job is the ideal first opportunity for him.
"If I was him, I don’t know if that’s a perfect situation. 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."
Embiid is certainly right about the unrivaled pressure that comes with coaching the Lakers, but it's a stunning bit of timing considering with whom he's currently playing.
Joel Embiid doesn't think Lakers job is ideal for JJ Redick
Embiid is currently playing alongside Davis and James, the Lakers' franchise players, as teammates on Team USA. Despite this, he's taken it upon himself to question whether Redick is the right coach to help them compete at the highest level.
It's an interesting bit of timing that could potentially cause a bit of tension in the locker room as Team USA prepares to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Putting that aside, it's still a rather tense situation whenever an active player comments on another organization's decision-making. Embiid and Redick seem to have a good relationship, and the former MVP clearly stated that he's happy for his ex-teammate.
There's still an inevitable degree of awkwardness whenever discussions of this nature come up, however, and it's likely to be a locker room talking point at some point in the future.
As for how Redick will fit with the Lakers, the early returns have been encouraging. He's taken a proactive approach to helping Los Angeles return to prominence, emphasizing player development and speaking with players about their potential roles in the team's offensive system.
That doesn't necessarily mean that he'll succeed as the head coach of the NBA's marquee franchise, but it's a promising sign that he's taking the necessary steps to do so.
Davis and James will be leading a system that emphasizes ball and player movement, as well as multiple points of entry. Los Angeles has also prioritized a stronger sense of accountability in the locker room, which Redick hopes to create.
With Redick at the helm, Davis and James continue to believe that the Lakers can win a championship, even if Embiid isn't sure Los Angeles hired the right coach.