From being an assistant head coach with the Golden State Warriors to being the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Luke Walton has come a long way. His coaching brilliance was on display early in his career, holding the fort for a recovering Steve Kerr, which led the Warriors to a 39-4 start in the 2015-16 season.
From trying to steer a young underwhelming Lakers squad into relevance, he now guides a hodgepodge of promising youngsters and solid veterans, with the addition of the best player in the planet, LeBron James, back into its glory days. Heading the opener, Walton is liking what he sees from the progress of the current roster.
According to a tweet from Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints, the team's chemistry is coming to fruition.
Luke Walton on team's chemistry: "It's all working. They're coming together as a group. They're trusting each other. You saw the amount of passing that was happening on some of those possessions last night and that's about trust." #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 3, 2018
Luke Walton on team chemistry: "Not only do you trust the guy you're passing it to, but by giving up a shot, you trust the next time someone has you in the opportunity, they're going to make that pass to you." #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 3, 2018
This is great news and incredible progress for a team that was just assembled this offseason. It may be the LeBron James effect or the collective locker room culture, but whatever it may be things are headed in the right direction.
Last season, the then-Cleveland Cavalier James took a beatdown and a sweep from the All-star quartet of the Golden State Warriors. On the other hand, the Lakers had an entertaining showing with their young talent headed by Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram, but ultimately had a forgettable 35-47 season.
James' addition to the Lake Show immediately boosts their chances and punches them a ticket to the playoffs. However, in the deep Western Conference eyes will be on the Hollywood franchise if they can reclaim an amount of playoff glory compared to their Kobe Bryant days.