The Los Angeles Lakers recentlyhired Luke Walton as their new Head Coach. The Lakers were coached by Byron Scott in the 2015-2016 season, in which they posted an abysmal record of 17-65, the worst in their franchise history. Before they had fired Scott, rumors circulated that the Lakers could hire Walton, who before coaching, played for Los Angeles for nine seasons. He had career averages of 4.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game over nine seasons with the Lakers. Walton was never the best player on the court, but he was always one of the smartest.
Walton spent the 2013-2014 season, the season after he retired, with the Los Angeles D-Fenders, of the NBA D-League. He was a player-development coach working with multiple players who would go on to play in the NBA. Xavier Henry and Shawne Williams were both on the D-Fenders, and they both were called up by the Lakers that season, Williams would then go on to play with both the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons in the 2014-2015 season. After spending a season coaching in the D-League, Walton would move onto to the NBA, where he would go on to complete major achievements as an assistant coach.
On July 3rd 2014, Luke Walton joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach under new head coach Steve Kerr. He earned his first NBA championship as a coach during the 2014-2015 season with the Warriors. The Warriors are better than ever this season, and are the favorite to win the NBA Championship. Before it is all said and done, Walton could have two NBA Championships as a coach, before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2016-2017 season.
At the beginning of the 2015-2016 campaign, Warriors’ Head Coach Steve Kerr was on leave from the team, as he was undergoing rehab for a back issue that he had been dealing with for quite some time. Kerr’s absence was ultimately Walton’s opportunity to take the NBA coaching circle by storm. He would be the interim Head Coach for the Warriors until Kerr was healthy enough to return. As Head Coach, Walton would lead the Warriors to a 24-0 start to the season. He would go on to win 39 games as Head Coach, before Kerr could return. Walton’s final record as interim head coach of the Warriors was 39-4. During his time as the lead coach, Walton earned two Western Conference Coach of the Month Awards but his record was attributed to Kerr. He won the titles in October and November. The Warriors would famously go on to break the NBA’s all-time win record, with 73 wins in the season. He is the best Interim Head Coach in NBA history.
Luke Walton will join a team perfect for him. Expectations should be tempered, as he is inheriting a talented, but very young and incomplete Lakers team. He is also the youngest Head Coach in the NBA. The Lakers already have three core players, and if they are able to keep their pick in the NBA Draft Lottery selection, they will have the chance to add another young player that could be part of their bright future. The Lakers three young pieces will only grow under Walton.
Jordan Clarkson will be entering his third NBA season once Walton takes over. He averaged 15.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season for the Lakers. Los Angeles was able to acquire him for nearly nothing, as they traded for him on draft night, when he was selected with the 16th pick in the 2nd round.
Julius Randle is the franchise power forward the Lakers were able to grab with the 7th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. While he only played 14 minutes in his rookie season before sustaining a season ending injury. Randle had a promising 2nd season. He averaged 11.3 points and 10.2 rebounds in only 28 minutes per game last season for Los Angeles. Randle is one of the most exciting young big men currently in the NBA.
While you likely remember D’Angelo Russell as the player who videotaped his teammate admitting he cheated on his girlfriend, Russell is clearly the franchise point-guard for the Lakers. While he battled being benched by Byron Scott, Russell put together an underrated rookie season. He averaged 13.2 points and 3.3 assists in only 28.2 minutes per game last season. He had plenty of on-court memorable moments throughout the season, including scoring 39 points along with a game winner in a game against the Brooklyn Nets. Russell will only become a better player as he heads into his 2nd season in his promising NBA career.
Walton will be able to work with his core, and not have to tank for seasons to draft them. He will likely have the chance this season to draft another top-pick, likely a small forward, and he will then have four young players that will be the future of Los Angeles. Mitch Kupchak, the GM of the Lakers, was very excited to bring Walton in. “We’re excited to bring Luke back to Los Angeles, where we feel he’s going to start an outstanding coaching career,” said Kupchak. “He’s one of the brightest young coaching minds in the game and we feel fortunate that he’ll be leading the on-court future of our team.” While Kupchak is often criticized for some of the personal moves he has made, he has hit with Walton’s hiring. Walton will be a great coach for the Lakers, and should make them relevant in the near future.
Luke Walton is much like the players that the Lakers have. He is young and shows promise. He will be a major reason into bringing the Lakers back to relevance. If Walton is able to attract free agents down the line, it will only make the hiring look even better. Walton obviously wanted to go to Los Angeles, as he signed with them while he is still in the midst of a playoff run.
He is the perfect fit for Los Angeles. He joins an incomplete team, much like he is an incomplete coach. The Lakers will face challenges in Walton;s first season. They will be young and inexperienced, just like Walton is young. While he is experienced, he will still have the challenge of developing young players into players good enough to compete for a championship in the toughest professional basketball league in the world.
Luke Walton will bring the Los Angeles Lakers back to a powerhouse franchise in the NBA. The Lakers will grow into being one of the best young teams in the NBA, much like Walton has already become on of the best young coaches in the NBA.
