Walton not in danger
The Lakers still have faith in coach Luke Walton
When the basketball world went wild over LaVar Ball’s recent criticism of Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton, with NBA coaches and stars weighing in on the comments made by Lonzo Ball’s famous father while his Big Baller Brand received another round of free publicity, there was one key component missing from the conversation.
Reality.
Despite LaVar’s assertion to ESPN that the Lakers (13-27) were “not playing for Luke no more” or that he’s “not connecting with one player,” a person with direct knowledge of the Lakers’ thinking told USA TODAY that Walton’s job is not in danger and the organization still has complete faith in the coach who is in the second season of a five-year, $25 million deal. The person spoke to USA TODAY on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
What’s more, the person insisted that the Lakers have no regrets about drafting Lonzo No. 2 overall out of UCLA in June.
LaVar’s commentary created the perception that Walton’s job was in jeopardy, but recent evidence paints a different picture. Beating the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings in back-to-back games that followed LaVar’s comments doesn’t constitute a total turnaround, but it was enough to relieve some pressure after the Lakers had lost nine in a row.
And while new basketball president Magic Johnson has continued to stay silent on the matter publicly — a move that many around the league consider ill-advised — there was much to be gleaned from the words of rookie guard Kyle Kuzma when he weighed in on the matter Sunday.
“It’s a just a lot of white noise, in a sense,” he told reporters about LaVar’s comments.
“Luke is my guy. I love playing for him. I’m sure most of us love playing for him, too. We’ve just got to stay locked in as a family, listen to the people that really matter in our lives — basketball lives — and that’s everybody in this organization.
“There’s a lot of times when you have a losing streak, you can go home and, you know, listen to people and let them get in your ears. But the people that really matter is the people that are in the Lakers organization. We stand by Luke. I know the front office does.”
The support for Walton goes all the way up to ownership, which is interesting because, well, Lonzo himself has yet to voice the kind of support that seems to be so rampant elsewhere.
When asked about LaVar’s views Sunday, Lonzo’s comment that “I’ll play for anybody” sparked all sorts of speculation that the dynamic between him and his coach might need work. And because the Lakers don’t have buyer’s remorse, the reality is this will remain a crucial coach-player pairing for their foreseeable future.
No matter how LaVar sees it.