The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the top teams in the Western Conference in late December. However, they lost LeBron James and Rajon Rondo to injuries and they haven't been able to carry their momentum in 2019.

The Lakers have lost six of their last ten games and are on the verge of falling out of the Western Conference playoff race. They are currently tied with the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final spot.

With the team's struggles, Lakers head coach Luke Walton is on the hot seat yet again, as there are people who are again starting to question his ability to lead the Lakers to success.

Walton is in his third year at the helm of the purple and gold franchise, and during his tenure, the team has shown significant progress year after year. However, the arrival of LeBron raised the expectations for the Lakers this year. But with the team unable to find ways to win without him, fans are getting impatient.

Luke has been getting a lot of support not only from the front office, but also from his players. Rondo has lauded Walton for the job he's done so far, and sophomore forward Kyle Kuzma has also expressed his approval of the coach.

This isn't the first time that Kuzma defended Walton. He's actually been vocal about his support for the Lakers head coach since last season, and nothing seems to have changed.

The Lakers will be going through a tough stretch, facing the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Golden State Warriors in their next three games. With LeBron James still not expected to return anytime soon, a collective effort between the players and the coaches is a must if the Lakers want their playoff chances to stay alive.