Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Hot takes for LeBron James in 2018-19
By Ronald Agers
LeBron James Hot Take Number one…Luke Walton’s relationship and the effects!
Here’s a nice LeBron James fun fact for Lakers fans…Luke Walton and LeBron James were drafted the same year way back in 2003. They were teammates in Cleveland during James’ first tenure in Cleveland. LeBron was the superstar while Walton was so far down on the bench he had to watch the game on NBA League Pass. Now the dynamics have changed. Back then it was James running the team (click on the story below for that…), now it is Walton running the team. Or is he?
The NBA is a players league. Their names are on the marquee. Fans come to see them play. If you think coaches are not replaceable, just carry a short conversation with Dwane Casey, the reigning NBA’s Coach of the Year who got fired from the Toronto Raptors after setting an franchise regular season record in wins last year. Oh by the way, he was replaced by a coach who had ZERO head coaching experience. This is under normal circumstances.
LeBron James is the face of the entire NBA right now, not just the Los Angeles Lakers. I see it very difficult for James to look at Luke Walton as a “supervisor” (because if you look at the hierarchy of the Lakers he is…) after…
–Leading eight straight teams to the NBA Finals
plus…
–based on their past relationship in Cleveland, LeBron James may not see Walton as his peer subconsciously.
If you have watched the preseason games, notice that he spends more time chatting it up with Rajon Rondo than Luke Walton. Granted Walton is into the game, and busy coaching, but this is something that needs to be watched. LeBron James probably can forget more basketball knowledge than 85 percent of what today’s NBA players know in full.
Rajon Rondo is probably the only one on the Lakers that can match James in the knowledge column. You can see that they are creating a positive relationship based on mutual respect. You can never go fully on what LeBron James say in the media because he is much too savvy to say the wrong thing to bring drama to himself. You have to read the body language. LeBron James is notorious for his passive-aggressive behavior. Perks do go with being the best player on the team (and possibly the NBA). Hopefully James is communicating as well with Walton as well as he is with Rondo, because…
If LeBron James does not partner up with Walton and come to an understanding, the young guys are watching and will have to pick sides. Rajon Rondo alone is a handful to deal with when things are not going well and he loses confidence in a coach (Fred Hoiberg, Rick Carlisle comes to mind), think about if he and James get tired of hearing Walton’s voice! If you are Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram or even Josh Hart…Who do you think they’re going to follow? The most powerful player in the NBA or the coach?
If you don’t think that this is an issue…well, click on that article above and enjoy!