After parting ways with Byron Scott last Sunday, the Lakers moved quickly and decisively on Friday in naming Luke Walton their next head coach. From the team’s press release:
Earlier today, the Los Angeles Lakers and Luke Walton reached an agreement on a multi-year contract for Walton to become the next Head Coach of the team, it was announced by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Walton will begin his new duties at the conclusion of the Golden State Warriors season.
“We’re excited to bring Luke back to Los Angeles, where we feel he’s going to start an outstanding coaching career,” said Kupchak. “He’s one of the brightest young coaching minds in the game and we feel fortunate that he’ll be leading the on-court future of our team.”
While it was believed the Lakers were going to perform a thorough search — they received permission to interview Spurs’ assistant Ettore Messina and were reportedly going to interview former Cavs coach David Blatt — Walton was always, clearly, their top choice. They reportedly sent representatives to Oakland to interview Walton and finalized a deal quickly.
As I wrote when it was announced the team received permission to interview Walton, I am firm believer in Walton even though he is not as experienced as some of his counterparts who the team also had interest in. Walton’s combination of youth, basketball IQ, temperament, history with the Lakers, and experience as a key member of the coaching staff on a historically great Warriors team is very appealing. Add to that his background — albeit brief — working in player development in the D-League and in the NCAA lend extra credibility to his career path.
Make no mistake, though, this hire is mostly about Walton’s fantastic rise in the past two seasons as part of Steve Kerr’s staff and his youth making him a viable candidate to be a long term solution as the team’s head man. While the Lakers hope to land some big fish in free agency (more on that in a little while), the core of the team are the team’s young players. In D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr., the Lakers likely see Walton as the best candidate to influence their development and grow with them at the same time.
As far as team building, it’s impossible to truly know how much Walton can impact the team’s pursuits in free agency. Walton’s history as a player and being a great teammate likely carry some cachet, just as it’s likely his ties to the Warriors’ team he’ll continue to help guide in until their season ends carries some meaning. But, in the end, any draw he has will mostly come in his ability to explain his basketball philosophy and how that translates into the success of the player(s) the Lakers hope to land.
The discussion of free agents, though, only hammers home the larger point: the Lakers are not working with a lot of talent now. Which makes the hill Walton and this franchise are climbing a steep one. We still do not know if the team will keep their lottery pick and the whispers of discord highlighted by recent public comments from Jeanie Buss offer a backdrop that isn’t ideal for any organization.
Hiring Walton is a step in the right direction, but there is much more work to do. Walton will be key in all that, of course, and it starts with who he fills out his staff with. The hope is that he’ll be someone who can attract a strong group of assistant coaches who can complement him by bringing experience and the ability to teach the game and advance the team forward. I’ll be very interested in who he brings on and what their pedigrees are. Beyond that, of course, work the front office does to improve the talent base and the work the young players do to round out their games and improve as the future on-court leaders of the team will also be very important for the Lakers to take the positive steps forward in order to become competitive.
Even with these questions, though, now is a time to be excited. The Lakers have hired a bright, young mind to be their next coach. They did what they likely should have done two years ago by stepping out of the box of their normal thought process, not settling for the safe choice and instead taking a chance on a coach who can be around for longer than his first contract. Welcome home, Luke Walton. We’ve been waiting on you.
Berdj Rassam says
The Lakers are very lucky to have such a good coach as Luke Walton come aboard after such a horrible season.
Sald0gg says
Couldn’t be happier. If we can hold on to a top 2 pick, we have a perfect start.
Todd says
Congrats to the Lakers and to Luke!
SD Lakerfan says
Can we hire Jerry West too?
Vasheed says
I’m just shocked this came so soon. This is a really good start to the offseason. Could not be happier!
P. Ami says
Congrats Luuuuuke… Congrats Lakers… First move that I’m truly excited by since the CP3 trade.
Laker Fanatic says
While it is true that Kerr had already implemented his own coaching strategy for Golden State you cant take away Luke’s contribution to leading the team to 39-4 in the absence of Kerr.
I am very excited about this hire. This is the first coaching hire since Phil Jackson that made sense… Btw, the Last time the Lakers hired a rookie coach (Pat Riley) it led to a championship that year. I don’t expect Luke to be able to win the championship next year, but a return to the playoffs is entirely possible.
Next move, sign Hassan Whiteside. If the Lakers FO pulls that off too then Durant will be a real possibility to lure here as well. But random statistic, Nance Jr had one of the absolute best defensive efficiency stats while playing SF… Can he be for the Lakers what Draymond Green is for Golden State if only defensively? Luke will definitely give that a good chance!
sam says
for the first time in a long time this long time fan and season ticket holder is excited about a move the lakers have made and the speed and certainty they exhibited in locking down luke — sure there is a bit of a leap of faith here — but its a leap I am thrilled we are taking
many many issues left to address and resolve but a positive step in the right direction
lakers32 says
This is such a refreshingly great off-season already compared to the previous three. It’s like Mitch and Jim have a vision and know what they want to do. I’m glad they moved fast to get their man unlike two years ago where they waited until after free agency. It’s clear they have learned from their past mistakes and now I’m excited for the free agency recruiting aspect of this hiring. I strongly believe Luke will be a huge asset in attracting quality free agents, and maybe even KD…maybe. Finally, things are going right for us again…next key date is May 17th…then free agency. Lets go!!!!!
Mid-Wilshire says
Outstanding. I’m delighted. I’m also impressed with the decisiveness of the Front Office. They could have dawdled and lost Luke. But that didn’t happen.
Congrats to Mitch and Jim on a great and timely decision.
Welcome back home, Luke. I wish you the best.
T. Rogers says
The first step in a long process. But still a great first step. If they can keep their draft pick and pull a decent FA this summer they will be on their way back.
Mid-Wilshire says
Below is Kobe’s perspective on Luke expressed earlier this season:
“I used to tease (Walton) all the time,” Kobe Bryant said after Sunday’s loss to Portland. “I used to call him the next Phil (Jackson), because he was an average player with a messed-up back. … I used to rib him all the time about that, but honestly he always had a really brilliant mind (with) understanding flow and tempo, spacing, how to manage a team the right way.”
R says
I hope the FO follows up on this solid and decisive move by making a couple max offers – simultaneously – to worthy FAs.
The lakers may really have something here – how will
they maximize Luke’s chances to succeed?
Fern says
It looks like finally the Lakers are making solid decisive moves. Im stocked. A little detour, I don’t believe in karma but if it does exist it sure is having it’s fun with the Clippers huh?
Tim says
Really like the decisive move the Lakers made in hiring Luke Walton and think this is a step in the right direction. Now the Lakers need a bit of lottery luck to keep their pick.
Grimlock says
Me want contract details.
dxmanners says
Please don’t mortgage the future hoping you’ll sign Westbrook. He’ll be past his prime, and jacking up shot after shot, and doing his stupid dance. Not a Laker.
Luke is a step in the right direction. Still doesn’t make up for Nash trade. Idiocy.
Fern says
I doubt there are going to be any contract details until Luke is finished with GS. A little something to read and mull over. http://www.lakersnation.com/lakers-find-perfect-fit-in-luke-walton/2016/04/29/
Robert says
Good move. Luke is loved by fans and players. And he will be able to survive a FO change. While this has risk, going in there is really no downside other than he is a rookie coach and like I said – we have done well with rookies in our history.
TempleOfJamesWorthy says
I wish Luke Walton the best of success with the Lakers. I hope he helps restore a winning tradition. But my optimism is tempered by the lack of a roster and the bitter lessons of experience. Sometimes the hot young assistant works (Pat Riley, Mike Budenholzer, etc.), sometimes it doesn’t (Jim Cleamons, Brett Brown, Brian Shaw, etc.).
And, as I noted a few days ago, Brad Stevens is the biggest “home run” coaching hire for a rebuilding team in recent memory. His record to date?
FIrst year: 25-57
Second year: 40-42
This past year: 48-34
Those are certainly better than the Lakers have done lately, but sub-.500 is nothing to write home about, and 48-34 gets you the 6th-8th seed in the West most years (some years it doesn’t even make the playoffs).
Good luck, Luke Walton. You’re going to need it.
Robert Fiore says
It’s not every coach who could have had a winning record with the Warriors this year.
42 says
Walton is over-hyped. Some of you talk playoffs? Are you serious? The Warriors win because they have two of the best shooters the league has ever seen. Period!
Now, with that said. I think Walton will be able to relate to the younger players and help their development. If we can sign Durant and Whiteside, then that fast tracks everything.
Kbj says
Not going to lie. I thought the Lakers would screw up and get JVG or David Blatt. So kudos to the F.O for getting Luke, who was my favorite for Lakers coach.
Fern says
I read in some other place that Stevie Wonder could’ve coach the Warriors to 39-4 LOL, that might be true but during the games i watched during his tenure what caught my eye was that he was in charge, he wasn’t standing in the sidelines watching the Warriors tear thru everybody, he was was coaching and the players executed,he wasn’t tuned out, players were following his lead, players on a championship level team . He even tweaked what Steve Kerr had put in place. Since he played on the Lakers i noticed his IQ. He was grossly overpaid lol but one could tell that he could be a coach someday. Really happy, we got our coach, the one the FO wanted and the overwhelming majority of the fan base wanted, for once we are in sync. And to top it all off? The Clippers got bounced, wow what a Friday!!!!
AusPhil says
Celtics, Clippers and Rockets all out, plus hiring Luke?
Good couple of days!
rubenowski says
OMG, I am so happy. Good times ahead!
Drrayeye says
Terrific hire. This may not make much sense at all, but my immediate thought was that Luke might encourage the FO to bring back Brandon Bass.
bleedpurplegold says
Could it be the case that jimmy hired him since he was the fan favorite from day 1 so he can restore some faith in the organization?!? Just a thought…..
Now that we have our coach in place, it is time to make a plan for next years roster. I hope the heat will lose in game 7 to the hornets, which would automatically make our recruiting job easier opposed to them making it to the ecf. Plus, the heat are getting up in age, while we have a young and talented nucleus in place, which makes our pitch even more attractive in my view. Afterwards, we still could go after KD, but he wouldnt be my first priority if we keep our pick, since the top 2 prospects are also SF. Just try to develop a team with luke at the helm and let them grow together.
The only scenario i would consider is trading our pick plus sign and trade clarkson for westbrook while also handing KD a max IF we convince whiteside to sign here first….otherwise, just give luke time to develop the younguns
Jim213 says
42,
As certain players on the roster have already made it known, he’s the perfect fit to help in their development. If FO doesn’t acquire impactful players to help the youth next season then they aren’t doing Luke any favors aside of failed to surround the team with better depth.
Warren Wee Lim says
AusPhil April 30, 2016 at 12:12 am
Celtics, Clippers and Rockets all out, plus hiring Luke?
Good couple of days!
I agree 100%.
Luke was a great hire. However way you put it. I am so happy I can’t even express it.
Next step, a middle one, but very important, is to bring Jarron Collins with him. Hire great assistants and I’ve heard Collins as one of the most-important names in the Warriors crew. I do hope it happens, but I also believe he will be Kerr’s lead next year so he could be the next HC hire. Either way, I couldn’t be happier. Class A hire by an organization that did not dilly-dally and lost the proverbial girl. I believe the money is significant as well, would believe it to be 5yrs 33-35M.
After all, we’re the Lakers.
JohnnyP says
With this hire, I predict the Lakers will have a better season next year than they did this one. It is a bold statement. But, I not only have I been called overly optimistic before, I have been right!
GOOOoooOOOOOO LAKERS!!
Anonymous says
Great job Lakers
Maleko says
I also like this hire. I remember seeing Walton as coaching material in his playing days and his intangibles. It should translate to his own gig. I am very interested to see what offensive schemes he installs but without a defense it won’t mean much. I am high on Whiteside’s skill but wary of his attitude – will hinge on if Walton can manage his ego. In reality a similar defensive big with less offensive upside would be Bismack Biyombo. His attitude would be phenomenal with the group too and his age meshes with the core. Add in a Nic Batum who is a solid two way wing, hopefully keep the pick and draft Ingram imo.
PG: DRussell, JClarkson
SG: Batum, LWill
SF: Ingram, Nance?, ABrown
PF: JRandle, Nance
C: Whiteside/Biyombo, TBlack
This team would still need to learn but have more balance. Certainly needs more depth and the second unit above would be devoid of defense outside of Nance. In truth they would not hit the salary floor and the Lakers would have to pick up more talent.
pat oslon says
Congrats Luke. Kudos to the FO for getting it done!
The first step in our return to greatness!
Fulofunk says
The first PKB decision and I do believe they got it right. At least this will warm the hearts of all Laker fans who fought to believe that someday we will win again….someday. We were treated to a long run of victories, then held hostage for the last few years by decisions based on loyalty, which I admired, and which I had to agree with. It brought us some young talent that have been fun to watch and that may bring us victories again down the road. For now, here’s the first promising step away from remaining the league laughingstock.
minorthreatt says
I see Henry Abbott is a little salty about the hire on 5 on 5. Those old Rip City memories die hard.
LKK says
Already some pundits are going to great lengths to remind us that this hiring alone does not assure the Lakers of a rosy future. While that is certainly true, I think it is important to remember that Luke Walton probably interviewed the Lakers’ management as much as they interviewed him. Luke had other options, including staying put with a historically great team.
One would think that prior to his agreeing to accept the job, Coach Walton ( I like the sound of that) was given an outline as to how the Lakers’ front office plans to approach this off season in terms of free agency, potential trades and utilizing their current assets which includes its young corps/core.
The fact that Luke agreed to terms so readily is probably a strong indication that he was convinced that Lakers’ management does indeed have a strong sense of direction for the team’s immediate future and beyond.
If this is true, then this hiring may truly mark a turning point and the beginning of a new day in the team’s circumstances.
minorthreatt says
Good points by LKK. The last three years have been painful. The future is still uncertain. And no brand is indestructable. But the Lakers are still the Lakers…at least for the time being.
DieTryin' says
When I heard the news last night in the car I shouted yes! I was in the camp of Walton or Ollie and was leaning towards Ollie simply due to his purported relationship with those OK boys. I would also have been fine with Messina. BUT man this is such a good move on several levels. 1) Mitch & Jim seemed to have learned from the past several seasons. 2) We have a coach who has the potential to grow and STAY with the team due to his youth regardless of front office upheavals 3) He comes from a terrific basketball family tree – his dad, Jackson, Lute Olsen and 4) He brings both PASSION and COMPETENCE to the job. The fact that he really wanted to be here and believes he can be an agent for change will absolutely improve our chances at free agents as well. See what I did there? Anyway, delighted with the news! Best of luck master Luke. The force is strong with this one!
minorthreatt says
Said a while back the Warriors might be historically good, but might also be good like the late 70s Blazers, with Curry as another Walton (Bill), and a single championship when it seemed like there could be many. We shall see.
Shaun says
haha henry abbot is such a hater
i think it will be interesting to see who luke gets as his assistants – the senior guys tend to help the older coaches – if lule csnt get a good staff i think it would be telling of his standing in the league
also might help us get harrison barnes to st least sign an offer sheet
J C says
I’m only 1% nervous for Luke and 99% thrilled for the Lakers.
Luke’s background and upbringing in the Walton household, with his father who played for the legendary John Wooden, along with the current Warriors culture make him the perfect guy to bring a sorely needed breath of fresh air to the Lake Show. Luke’s record of unselfish and pass-first play dates back to his years under Lute Olsen at Arizona.
This is a step so clearly in the right direction for the team that only the saddest guys in the room will trash this hire.
Consider also that Luke’s confident demeanor and cool, which probably put the final touches on a brief courtship in his “interview” for the job, will also now be on display in future FA meetings. Finally, a fresh face and voice will be representing us as those crucial opportunities are presented.
Congrats to a unique guy and to our team. This may become exactly what the doctor ordered.
J C says
Nice article detailing Luke’s background and current Warriors culture:
http://www.si.com/nba/2015/12/17/golden-state-warriors-stephen-curry-luke-walton-steve-kerr
Tra says
Excellent hire by the FO. As I mentioned a few threads ago, as a player, Luke possessed a high B-Ball IQ, has garnered lessons from some of the greatest coaching minds in basketball and has the youth that will allow him to grow with our young core. Players nowadays also seem to want to play for coaches who they have witnessed play the game at this level (case in point, Lebron being such an advocate of Ty Lue). It allows for better communication because it’s easier for each component to relate to the other.
With the swiftness at which this was done, I’m now of the belief that the organization already had a strong indication that Luke was on board even before terminating B. Scott. He was their top target from the jump, knew more than enough about his coaching ideologies due to their past connections and recognized that there was no need to stretch the search out for Byron’s successor. I to will be interested to see who he fills out his coaching staff with.
Step 1 of ‘The Rebuild’ is done. Now we just need them ping pong balls to work in our favor. Then it’s on to free agency, in which I personally feel that Luke, with his personality and like ability, will be a valuable asset in recruitment.
KevTheBold says
A hearty welcome home to Luke !
The Perfect young coach, for a promising young core.
Now the knowledge and insights that Golden State took from us, will be returned accentuated and bolstered with new knowledge!
I must say, the front office is looking good about now.
Go Lakers!!!
KevTheBold says
Now we have a coach that will understand how to best utilize the talents of our backcourt duo, and Randle as well !
Anonymous says
KO — the Lakers won’t bring in Cousins. He’s an FO and coach killer plus his teammates dislike him. Hard to envision a scenario where he fits. Let Boston trade their picks for him this summer — you’ll see Stevens back coaching college in two years.
chris says
You know the league was going hard at the Lakers for a few years there after the Pau Gasol trade, and I don’t see why they got Marc Gasol out of it hahaha, messed up the chris paul trade when Phil Jackson had called that scenario out a long time before it happened with the league owning the Pelicans as well. During the Labor agreements the Lakers were one of the only teams on the players side, because they had that time warner contract in their pockets, so they clashed a lot with other owners. So I wonder if Phil and Jeanie planned for him to go to New York to be ears on the east coast and kind of have their hand there with the intention of coming back to the Lakers after Jim’s tenure was over. So you have Jeanie, Phil, Luke….man…if they retain the top 5 pick, with the cap space we have, this team could be relevant very fast, I don’t care what anyone says, D’angelo just threw up 40 as a rookie,something kobe didn’t even do, and Julius Randle is a man child and in his 3rd year now after an impressive “rookie” season basically averaged a double double,, just like Clarkson, and Nance can play in any system with his athleticism and is going to be a very solid role player, other than those 4, I don’t really mind them shaking up the roster and am very excited for the future.
Mid-Wilshire says
I think it’s interesting to compare the Lakers at this point in 2016 vs. the Lakers 2 years ago when they were in the process of hiring Byron Scott.
2014 — The Lakers take several months to interview several candidates.
2016 — The Lakers interview one candidate over a span of 5 days.
2014 — The Lakers interview Byron Scott 3 (or possibly more) times. They hire Byron after Free Agency begins.
2016 — The Lakers are decisive. They interview Luke Walton once and make him an offer the same day. Walton accepts. Free agency will begin on July 1, 2016.
2014 — Kobe begins his final contract at $24 Mill per year.
2016 — Kobe has retired.
2014 — The Lakers’ draft picks include 19-year old Julius Randle (who will become injured and miss the entire year) and Jordan Clarkson who will not play any substantial minutes until February. (Clarkson was acquired in a trade after being selected 46 in the NBA Draft by Washington.)
2016 — The Lakers now have a young core of D’Angelo Russell, 20 years old (2nd Player Selected in the 2015 Draft), Julius Randle, 21 years old, Jordan Clarkson, 23 years old, Larry Nance, Jr. (a 1st round pick from the 2015 Draft), 23 years old, Anthony Brown (a 2nd round pick from the 2015 Draft), 23 years old, and Tarik Black, PF, 24 years old; also the Lakers will have at least one draft pick (the number 32 pick overall) in the forthcoming 2016 draft and possibly a top-3 selection; furthermore, the Lakers will have as much as $65 Million in cap space, the most in the League; Walton will undoubtedly be a part of any meetings with Free Agents.
What a difference 2 years makes.
Avidon says
I love Luke but this is a borderline-irresponsible gamble by the team. Also slightly surprised by him accepting the position. This was a clear case of take the money while it’s there.
Having said that, his flower power mindset should help the growth of our young talent. Just don’t get your hopes up too high fellow fans. We are first round fodder at best for the foreseeable future (see Brad Stevens and the Celtics).
J C says
Mid W
nice 2014/2016 comparisons and valid to be sure.
Tra
Agree about Luke’s BB IQ and championship experience and what these bring to the table.
I read that Jim Buss decided kind of suddenly that they needed to move quickly on Walton (after seeing Thibs and Brooks sign in rapid succession) before Luke signed elsewhere – and that is part prompted Scott’s “sudden” dismissal on a Sunday and hence Jeannie’s ostensible surprise. This storyline, if true, doesn’t suggest any handshake deals were in place – although one never knows.
I must confess this hire hearkens to the daring of Dr. Buss.
It feels like this is a hire he would have made.
No one’s complaining too hard about the FO today 🙂
Chris J says
As stated yesterday, I love that the front office was moving with some sense of conviction and direction in this early off-season. I like that they’re not pursuing a retread, and I don’t include Messina and Blatt in that category. This time out there were three good names in the mix, and now the decision has been made.
I’m hopeful Luke is the goods. I see areas of concern along with vast potential. As TempleOfJamesWorthy has noted, the comparison with Boston/Stevens is apt. Let’s hope the front office and fans will allow Luke the time he needs to develop, and the players he leads to develop around him. It’s not going to happen overnight, short of some unrealistic free agency grand slam like landing Durant, which I don’t expect to happen. If they keep the lottery pick and make smart signings this summer — something that begins to resemble a plan and system, with appropriate roster fit — then we should all be content with progress next season. A low playoff seed would be great, but that’s not the goal. I’m tired of the recent crap, chasing unrealistic playoff seeds with square pegs like Carlos Boozer or Nick Young. It’s time to turn a corner with the youth on hand and see if they can sink or swim.
The aspiration should be to set a foundation for prolonged success and development. A 36-year-old head coach is a perfect start for such a goal. Now let’s give him the time (and for the front office and lotto gods to allow for the pieces) he’ll need to make it work.
Craig W. says
I am fully behind this coaching hire.
With that said, I do remember Luke Walton was the designated scape goat for the Laker team in 2007-2009. People were totally up in arms about his salary and were encouraging the front office to trade him for a ‘bag of chips’, just to get him off the team.
We always seem to be attracted to the shiny new toy and subtle analysis has never been a hallmark of fans.
Walton comes from a successful basketball family – like Larry Nance Jr (remember the comments when we drafted him) – he was always a team player and he put in the work to thoroughly learn his profession. We have to remember the most talented players often don’t make the best coaches. Coaches come from players who had to figure out where they fit and make sure they developed their talents for that niche.
rr says
I said a few days ago that I supported Walton over Messina or Ollie, and explained why in specific terms, so I have no issue with this decision and I back it. But I don’t see hiring Walton as being daring or outside-the-box or any thing of that nature. Pretty much everyone in LakerLand–team, media, fanbase, Jeanie–is presumably behind bringing in Walton. Hiring Blatt or JVG would have been the outside-the-box/who-cares-what-people think move.
The counter to that is that Walton has never been an HC before, but hiring a guy with his popularity and pedigree off a team that just went 73-9, especially when he coached the team to 39 of those wins, is a very standard move by a FO that needs, shall we say, some sanity and some positive optics.
So let’s see what happens next. Lakers fans now have some tangible reasons to be hopeful.
rr says
With that said, I do remember Luke Walton was the designated scape goat for the Laker team in 2007-2009. People were totally up in arms about his salary and were encouraging the front office to trade him for a ‘bag of chips’, just to get him off the team.
We always seem to be attracted to the shiny new toy and subtle analysis has never been a hallmark of fans.
—
Walton the aging, injured, overpaid player and Walton the hot young coaching prospect are two very different guys,and Walton’s playing contract was both too long and too expensive. You should also note that the Lakers replaced Walton with Ariza and then Artest on the Finals teams.
Finally, while I have specific reasons for backing the hire, as I said a few days ago and as I said again in a post currently in mod, Walton the coaching prospect actually fits the shiny new toy meme better than the other guys the FO was planning to talk to fit it.
matt says
Any other coaching hire probably would have been seen as a failure, but it’s interesting that some comments are still negative here.
R says
Abbott needs to get over his bitterness and hatred. It’s like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
His tart attitude makes me even more confident this was the right move. Will Luke be a wild success? Of course, it’s far too early to tell. But the Lakers are taking what looks to be a smart, calculated chance with young Luke.
Ed says
Just the first step,but a good one.Now FA,and the draft. Coaching,player evaluation, and development all have to be at high level for the team to enjoy even modest success this year.One thing I like about Luke is that he brings to the Lakers a new perspective on all facets of the game on the court and off,coming from a very successful organization.
Chris J says
Abbott hates the Lakers, no different than Bill Simmons. Their opinions on the team will always be jaded by those feelings so there is no reason to believe either will be objective, and therefore, why give a rat’s a– about anything either has to say or write about the team?
BigCitySid says
– Surprised it got done so quickly. Hoping for the best. Lakers hit their points: 1) made a splash, 2) hired a champ, 3) hire a former Laker, 4) and a So-Cal guy. Glad to see ownership make a decisive move. Cheering with guarded optimism.
– A new day has finally started.
– Harrison Barnes is now a huge step closer to becoming a Laker…like it or not.
Renato Afonso says
Very happy about this. It’s the riskier move but at the same time, Luke will probably be given more time to steer things in the right direction than any other available coach.
Let’s wait and see what happens…
Kevin_ says
Can’t be any worse than B. Scott. But at the end of the day Lakers need talent to win. Luke doesn’t make this team playoff bound Lakers need to get some free agents and utilize a pick to get a in his prime franchise player.