Following the Los Angeles Lakers' 128-115 loss to the New Orleand Pelicans, there were reports that head coach Luke Walton was left by the team's bus that was headed back to the team's hotel. However, those reports were said to be false, and there is now a clear explanation as to why Walton remained in New Orleans.

It is worth noting that these recent reports should never be associated to any speculation regarding Walton's job security with the Lakers. This was just a simple misunderstanding, nothing more.

The Lakers are facing bigger problems at the moment, including their chances of making the playoffs. They once again lost to a non-playoff team following an impressive victory against a contender. This is similar to what happened a few weeks ago, when the Purple and Gold beat the Boston Celtics only to lose against the Atlanta Hawks.

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At 29-30, the chances of the Lakers making the playoffs are getting slimmer every day. They still have a legitimate chance of making the postseason, but with 23 games remaining, they will need a ton of effort and a little bit of luck in order to sneak back in the knockout phase of the season.

The players and Walton should be held accountable for the Lakers' struggles this campaign, and in order for them to go back to their winning ways, they will have to figure everything out together.

If the Lakers miss the playoffs this season, it will be the sixth consecutive year for the franchise. The last time they made the playoffs was back in 2013, when the team was still led by Kobe Bryant.