Los Angeles Lakers: Is there pressure on Luke Walton coaching LeBron James?

Is there pressure on Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton after the team acquired LeBron James?

Every Los Angeles Lakers fan rejoiced yesterday as a slow first day of free agency finished with a royal finish. The King, LeBron James, announced he would be joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

James agreed to a four-year, $154 million contract with the Lakers. Though the contract includes a player-option on the fourth year, James will be donning the purple and gold for at least three seasons.

With LeBron’s signing, the pressure on the GM Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson to deliver has now been lifted. Though the team is nowhere near championship contention yet, the front office cleared the first big hurdle.

Remember when Magic ensured he would step down if he did not sign bring on any big-name FAs? Rest assured Magic will remain in our front office to run the show for the foreseeable future now.

Everyone in Los Angeles appears ecstatic for James to be joining the team. From the public celebrations to the personal tweets from fellow Lakers, there is an intense excitement going into this season.

Former Laker great Kobe Bryant even had a few words to share on the matter. Though he and LeBron have always been closely compared, Kobe was glad to see James joining his former franchise.

With the simple agreement to sign, LeBron has catapulted the most storied franchise back into relevancy. After a five-year playoff drought, the Lakers could be headed to the postseason again next season. Though, with the addition of LeBron, there are some things to consider. Most important to consider, LeBron’s effect on the Lakers head coach Luke Walton.

Luke Walton has three years remaining on his contract, with the last year on that contract not guaranteed. I bring this point up only because LeBron’s presence on a team changes the way a coach works with the team. Many coaches have seen success with LeBron leading their team on the floor, but his star power has costed the careers of coaches in the past.

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LeBron has played with multiple coaches over the years, and they all approached coaching him in a different manner. They adapted their coaching styles to adjust for having arguably the greatest player ever on their roster. While some adjusted fine to this, others did not.

In LeBron’s four years with Miami, coach Erik Spoelstra found the right balance between letting James and co. take over the game and coach themselves while also providing brilliant after-timeout (ATO) plays and offensive sets to showcase James’ talents.

After arriving back in Cleveland, James saw a different coaching approach employed by former Cavs coach David Blatt. After a sub-par start to the season, and a vote of no confidence by James, Blatt found himself ousted. Blatt’s replacement, current coach Tyronn Lue, stepped in and altered the way the team was coached.

Because of those adjustments, Ty Lue has seen a lengthier career in Cleveland than Blatt did. Though, because Lue loosened his control to allow LeBron to be a more vocal leader and contributor on the sideline, Lue has drawn criticism for not truly coaching the team. Many people frequently asked, “who’s the real coach, Lue or LeBron”.

These are the types of scenarios that a team faces when LeBron comes on board. Ty Lue and LeBron were able to figure out an agreement that put them in consecutive Finals together. Though, it is unseen yet whether Luke Walton will be able to sacrifice his role slightly to adjust in a similar fashion to coach LeBron.

Next: Lakers Are Instant Contenders With LeBron James

While all of Los Angeles is still celebrating the arrival of LeBron James, coach Luke Walton has a lot to figure out heading into opening night. Hopefully, Walton and LeBron will figure this out to help lead the Lakers back to championship contention.