Are The Los Angeles Lakers Setting Up Luke Walton To Fail?
As the Los Angeles Lakers hit the 2018 NBA Free Agency period with a vengeance, it has left me wondering if they are sabotaging the career of head coach Luke Walton. When he took this team over, he was promised one that he could mold into his own vision. But this offseason has turned into the vision of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka and not that of Walton’s.
Luke Walton was given a team that had D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Julius Randle. But Walton had to sit back as Johnson and Pelinka traded away their PG Russell to make room for Lonzo Ball and his father then add Isaiah Thomas to a team he just didn’t fit with. He was given Brook Lopez but Lopez along the way forgot that he was once one of the most dominating offensive Centers in the game.
[MarkAds]While the Los Angeles Lakers would struggle under the guidance of Walton, the team was still learning his tactics while figuring out how to play as a unit at the same time. This was expected. But then everything changed this offseason and Walton’s team was no longer his team with one move. With the addition of LeBron James, the Lakers are clearly his. Not Walton’s, but LeBron’s. Can you honestly name a coach that LeBron had smooth sailings with? Why would the Lakers put the young Walton in this position?
With LeBron signing a 4-year deal, the Lakers are tied to him and his ways until further notice. But a quick history lesson will show that the finger-pointing for losing will not be pointed in James’ direction but that of the coach. This is where Walton may be in trouble. Then to add more salt to the wound was the addition of Rajon Rondo. While talented, Rondo has been known to clash with a coach or two during his run in the league. Now the Lakers will have to monitor Walton just a bit more as he has to deal with trade rumors and players who are used to getting their way. This is not how a young coach makes his mark.
Do The Los Angeles Lakers Belong To LeBron or Luke Walton?
Let’s be honest here, the Los Angeles Lakers, even with the new additions are not built to dethrone the Golden State Warriors or even the Houston Rockets. However, many are predicting the Lakers could be as high as the 3rd seed and that’s a stretch. LeBron is good, but even in the Eastern Conference with pretty much the same talent surrounding him, he couldn’t reach the 3rd seed. If the Lakers should fall below that, guess where the blame will fall–on Luke Walton, that’s where. This is unfair to him.
He was given a team of young athletic players that had to learn his style and how to play with one another to an almost complete rebuild with veterans and still may lose his core of young players if the Lakers and Spurs can pull off the Kawhi Leonard trade. So what happens if the Lakers do not meet expectations? Just last season, there were rumors of a Walton firing with no expectations. Now, he has to produce wins, or else.
Thre are also rumors that Carmelo Anthony would like to join his friend LeBron on the Lakers if he’s able to get a buyout from the Thunder in the near future. What this does is put Walton in a tough spot as James and Anthony will obviously take the starting spots away from the young Ingram and Kuzma. This is not what Walton had envisioned or was promised when he took the job. The Lakers want to win but the calls are being made from the front office and not on the floor.
It seems as if the Lakers have given him everything he needs to win, but in reality, he may just be the scapegoat when this all goes horribly wrong.
[BXReporter]
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
