If I can borrow former Celtics’ coach Rick Pitino’s catchphrase, “Kevin Garnett isn’t walking through that door.” The problem is, it’s hard to recall any franchise in recent memory, except maybe the 2008 Boston Celtics, that became a great defensive team literally overnight. This has to change if the Purple and Gold want to see a resurgence any time soon. The reason for the overuse of the word “defense” was because the Lakers are missing it, and badly.įor the last two years, the club has allowed 105 and 106 points per game respectively to opponents. If I had a dollar to every time a player mentioned defense during training camp, I’d have a lot more dollars than I have now. In order for the Lakers to truly start playing well, they have to figure out how they want to play. Back-screens, precision cuts, reading and reacting, etc. To the untrained eye, it appears that GSW is successful because they run around and shoot lots of threes and have Stephen Curry but the Golden State system is the result of several fundamental basketball theories wrapped into one. And 2, it remains to be seen if the young Lakers have the basketball IQ’s required to run a system like that. 1, the Lakers aren’t nearly as talented as the Golden State core. It’s possible that the Lakers are trying to become Golden State 2.0, but there are two main problems with that. It’s going to be difficult to be a run and gun, free-flowing team because there aren’t that many consistent three point shooters available. Luke Walton needs to figure out what he wants this team’s identity to be and whether or not they have the right pieces to make it happen.įor example, this team surely doesn’t have the pieces to be a dominant defensive team but they can be pretty solid with the right effort and coaching. Byron wanted the team to be an old-school, hard nosed defensive team that preferred mid-range jump shots to three point looks. We knew what were not going to do and we knew what they were attempting to do. One thing I will say about the Byron Scott era is that the team’s identity was pretty clear. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Los Angeles, CA, USA Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) dunks over Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. What about when the conversations and headlines that have nothing to do with basketball start to creep in? The biggest question is what will Luke Walton’s identity as the coach be. With all due respect, Russell, Randle, and Clarkson aren’t Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, or Draymond Green.Īnother factor that remains to be seen is how will Walton lead this team during the dark days?ģ9-4 is a great record for NBA title contenders such as the Warriors but how will things change if the Lakers start the season 0-4? Or if they go on a long losing streak? It was Steve Kerr’s team that Walton was baby-sitting.Īlthough Luke amassed a 39-4 in Steve Kerr’s absence, the level of talent was astronomically better. Yes, he stepped up as the coach of the Golden State Warriors while Steve Kerr was out, but that wasn’t Walton’s team. The problem with coach Walton lies in the fact that he has no true experience as a head coach in the NBA. The hiring of Walton is definitely an investment that the Lakers were smart to make. The emphasis has been placed on fun and togetherness, rather than the old school, hard knocks style that was employed by coach Scott.
#LAKER HYPE GIRL FREE#
There is a more open and free vibe around the organization and the players.
#LAKER HYPE GIRL UPGRADE#
It is a huge upgrade from Byron Scott in so many ways and many of those positive assets Luke brings to the table have already been shown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsĪdmittedly, I was just as excited as everyone else when I found out that former Laker Luke Walton was going to be the next coach of the Purple and Gold.
Los Angeles, CA, USA Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton is interviewed by reporters at media day at Toyota Sports Center. However, here are five reasons why fans must temper their expectations for this young team. With three straight years of losses, which subsequently brought in the haul of three straight lottery picks – Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram – the team’s future is finally starting to look bright again.Īfter drafting Brandon Ingram with the second overall pick and watching the development of their other young stars, the Lakers franchise is primed for a return to relevance.
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