Lakers: How the Golden State Warriors’ System Could Succeed in LA
Luke Walton is currently considered the front runner for the Lakers’ head coaching vacancy and that is great news
After a second consecutive season in which the Lakers were a complete disaster both on and off court, the organization finally decided it was time to part ways with head coach, Byron Scott. Immediately following his firing, speculation began regarding who should serve as his replacement. As of now, the consensus, and rightly so, seems to be that Luke Walton is the best possible fit for the job.
Luke Walton is currently an assistant for the Golden State Warriors, and he took over the head coaching job for the first portion of this season in Steve Kerr‘s absence. As the team he briefly coached went on to set the record for the most wins in NBA history, his success is difficult to question.
However, there is some concern that Walton’s success was solely a product of his talented roster, something he will not be able to bring with him to Los Angeles.
The Lakers young core desperately needs to play in a system that maximizes their growth and development
Luke Walton would, however, be able to bring with him pieces of the system that Kerr has implemented in Golden State: a motion heavy offense, that relies on strong screens and ball movement, with only occasional isolations and post-ups. In short, Golden State’s system would be perfect for the Lakers.
Coming from an antiquated system that played to the nearly every weaknesses on the roster, the Lakers young core desperately needs to play in a system that maximizes their growth and development.
Playing in an offense that forces them to move the ball more could help to build chemistry and improve their decision making. The Dubs’ offense also fits the strengths of the Lakers young core surprisingly well.
While the Lakers have nowhere near the level of talent that Kerr has had to work with, they definitely have the personnel to run an effective approximation of the Warriors offense. Said offense thrives on the incredible shooting ability of Stephen Curry, paired with the play-making ability of Draymond Green.
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Placing these two players into the pick and roll forces teams to deny Curry his shot, which in turn leaves Green open in the middle of the floor. From there he can choose to shoot, drive, or pass, all of which he does well enough to be a threat.
While no team in the league has a shooter as dangerous as Curry, D’Angelo Russell is enough of a threat from deep to draw the attention of defenses.
The Lakers also have two players who could effectively play the role of Green in this scenario.
Julius Randle, who will reportedly be working out with Green this off-season, definitely has the handles and vision to drive and dish as the roll man. However, while it is possibly it will improve over the off-season, his lack of shooting prowess remains a problem.
Larry Nance Jr. on the other hand, has shown the ability to shoot from both the mid-range and even the three point line. He also can effectively put the ball on the floor, and has already proven to be absolutely deadly when given space to move towards the rim. Placing him in these sort of pick and rolls could lead to plenty of plays like this:
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Playing secondary to Curry and Green, the Warriors position shooters along the perimeter, in addition to typically placing an athletic finisher near the rim.
This allows the roll man to choose the pass that best suits the situation, and get the easiest look possible.
While the Lakers don’t have anywhere near the shooting prowess of Golden State, Jordan Clarkson and Anthony Brown have both shown the ability to be effective in spot up situations, and still have room to grow into knock-down shooters.
As for an athletic finisher, the Lakers have a very solid option in Tarik Black, who has shown the size and strength to finish nearly everything he gets around the rim. In an offense which features more ball movement and penetration, Black should be able to get plenty of easy looks, and produce plenty of highlights.
The Warriors also play excellent defense, so there shouldn’t be any problem with Luke Walton’s coaching on that end. That said, success on the defensive side of the ball ultimately comes down to the players and the amount of effort they’re willing to exert for their coach but more so, their teammates.
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Overall, the systemic factors in play only strengthen the argument that Luke Walton is the best available candidate for the Lakers head coaching job. If the Lakers want to maximize the potential of their young players, they should focus their efforts on securing Luke Walton as their new head coach.