Lakers: 5 Reasons Luke Walton Is the Right Head Coach

Five reasons why Luke Walton was the right hire for the Lakers head coaching job

Ever since the start of the 2015-16 NBA regular season, fans of the Los Angeles Lakers had their eyes on Luke Walton as he took over as the interim head coach for the Golden State Warriors while Steve Kerr was out of action recovering from back surgery.

Obviously Walton was coaching the defending champions in the Warriors, but the former Lakers forward managed the system and talent magnificently on his way to a historic undefeated start. While the Lakers were suffering through another start to a season with Byron Scott holding the clipboard on the sideline, the notion of somehow being able to bring Walton in to coach a group of talented young players in Los Angeles for the future seemed enticing.

Now it not just seems enticing, but is a reality for Walton and the Lakers:

On Friday night, the Lakers agreed to hire Luke Walton as their next head coach. It was clear almost immediately after the franchise fired Byron that the Warriors assistant was the team’s first choice to fill the vacancy. Though they had contingency plans in place if they weren’t able to lure Walton away from Golden State, they ended up not needing it.

Walton’s duties with the Lakers won’t begin until after the Warriors’ postseason is over. Given what the fans in Los Angeles have been through as of late, though, they’ll gladly wait for the former forward for the team to take his post once he’s done with his current job.

While the reason to be excited is obvious as Luke Walton isn’t Byron Scott and brings with him newfound hope, it’s also important to note that he’s also the right guy to handle the Lakers job in it’s current state.

Here are the five reasons why Luke Walton is the right hire to be the Lakers next head coach.

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