Lakers Rumors: Luke Walton needs to start winning or job is in jeopardy
Recent Los Angeles Lakers rumors are not good for head coach Luke Walton, who is on the hot seat because of the team’s performance.
Los Angeles Lakers rumors have been quiet to begin the season. Despite a slow 3-5 start, there have not yet been too many rumblings about unrest in Hollywood. Patience has been preached for a while now in Los Angeles, but there is only so long that people will wait for results.
Following the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, frustration showed for the first time. LeBron James sat at his locker and provided some candid comments.
The loss to Minnesota followed a loss to the San Antonio Spurs over the weekend. The two straight losses followed a modest two-game winning streak, one victory of which was against the previously undefeated Denver Nuggets.
James said you don’t want to see him when he loses his patience, which was the first sign that there is some unrest among the purple and gold.
Well, it turns out, James wasn’t the only person that seems to be tiring of the slow start. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Magic Johnson admonished head coach Luke Walton in a meeting on Tuesday for the team’s slow start.
Wojnarowski noted that there was an awareness among the Lakers‘ coaching staff already that there was immense pressure to start winning, and soon. Johnson’s comments in the meeting drove home that fact.
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When James was signed, the direction of the organization changed. There is a lot of youth on the Lakers roster. Outside the other veterans signed, JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo and Michael Beasley, there was zero playoff experience on this roster.
As a result, patience was preached by Johnson and the organization. Time would not only be needed for James to gel with his new teammates, but the youngsters would have to be afforded the time to develop as well.
Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart make up an impressive young core in Los Angeles. However, there is still plenty of room for growth and development. That is why so many veterans were signed, as the Lakers hoped they would be able to accelerate that learning curve.
That learning curve was set back by the suspensions of Ingram and Rondo for their roles in the fight with the Houston Rockets. Walton found some success with them sidelined, but had to adjust the lineups once again when they returned.
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As a result, there has been a lot of shuffling around of the lineup. Walton needs to find a combination that works, and fast. From the sounds of it, his job depends on it. If the team does not start winning soon, he could be left without a job.