The Los Angeles Lakers finished last season with a 17-65 record, and missed the post season for the 3rd straight year.
In large part, the season seemed to be focused solely on Kobe Bryant‘s last year, and the younger players had issues with former head coach Byron Scott, who was dismissed after the season ended, and replaced with new head coach Luke Walton.
Walton is not only here to turn things around but give the atmosphere around the team a positive charge. Walton is responsible for changing the team's culture, and the team added respected veterans to help him. This is all part of the grand scheme as Walton told Chris McGee of Time Warner Cable Sportsnet.
That's not an accident. Obviously everyone in the NBA is going to go after LeBron James and Kevin Durant. That's a no-brainer, but only two teams are going to get those guys. So then you start working your way down your list, and it's what's more important to you at this time, and we felt like we got guys that are very good basketball players and very good people.
One thing coach Walton is hoping for is the veterans' work ethic rubbing off on the younger players.
When you're developing young players, I think having an environment that makes the players want to come in, that makes the players want to get better is everything. Because it's a business now at this level for the most part, and there's young players making millions of dollars and a lot of times they can just come in and get their shots up and do what they need to do and get out of there, and that's not what we want.
We want them coming in, staying in, having fun, going at each other, making each other better. Honestly since I've been here our young guys have been phenomenal. They've been in that gym every day not because we make them come in, but because they want to be in there, and you can already see some of the progress happening.
Walton believes the mix of veterans and young players will net the team a successful rebuild, even if it takes a few seasons.
When you're building something and you want it to be special, it's about working with good people, working with people you like, and that brings out the best in everybody.
The journey has begun, and the new NBA season kicks off in two months.
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