1. Coach Luke Walton
The third Laker facing pressure could be any of the other members of that young core, or any of the five vets signed to one-year deals. Just about any player not named LeBron James will have to something to prove this season.
But there’s another Laker who just might be under more pressure than any of them.
This is Walton’s third year as head coach. The Lakers improved by nine games in each of the past two seasons, an impressive start to any coaching career.
Luke seemingly has support from the people who count the most. Johnson, Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss have each praised his performance, especially his ability to get along with all different kinds of players. That strength could be well-tested this year with the addition of Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley, Rondo and McGee, all of whom have been “problem children” on previous teams.
Perhaps even more importantly, expectations will ramp sharply upward this year. For the first time since 2013, it is anticipated that the Lakers, especially now that they have James on their side, will qualify for the postseason.
But making the playoffs is by no means a sure thing in the very tough Western Conference. Two-time NBA defending champion Golden State is a shoo-in. In all likelihood so is Houston, which had the best regular-season record in the league last year.
That leaves at least seven other teams battling with the Lakers for the remaining six spots. Each of them features two potential All-Stars. Alphabetically, it’s Denver (Millsap and Isaiah Thomas), Minnesota (Jimmy Butler and Towns), New Orleans (A Davis and Jrue Holiday), Oklahoma City (Westbrook and Paul George), Portland (Lillard and McCollum), San Antonio (Aldridge and DeRozan) and Utah (Gobert and Donovan Mitchell). An argument could be made that each of those teams will finish ahead of the Lakers.
It is Luke’s responsibility to meld the talent together to produce a winning team. Deservedly or not, he will be on the hot seat this season. The pressure will clearly be on him to steer the Lakers ship into the top 8.
If he and the team are successful, the young core will gain necessary first-hand postseason experience. But if the Lakers don’t make the playoffs, that failure will, as it always does, reflect back on the coach. And Walton’s job could then be in jeopardy.
Having LeBron in his lineup along with some very talented young players should help the coach reach his goal. The odds are Luke will continue in his job, but nothing is guaranteed.
Conclusion
This season is an important one for the Lakers as they continue their quest to once again contend for an NBA title. But the three who probably feel the most pressure to their futures are Lonzo Ball, Ivica Zubac and Luke Walton.