Los Angeles Lakers: Luke Walton’s relationship with Magic Johnson has been good!

Magic Johnson wants a coach with a personality different from Walton’s! 

I know fans like to distance the sports world from reality, but to grasp this concept one has to add two things to the mix.

Number one, we are dealing with human beings that make decisions that will always differ.

Number two, the Lakers are here to entertain the fans on the Staples Center basketball court but let’s be clear this is a business. This is about money. If that wasn’t the case, the games would be out at the parks and YMCA’s all over Los Angeles for free.

What keeps Luke Walton’s future so murky is the common business practice of when a new regime comes into front office management, they want their own people in positions where they feel comfortable in going in a particular direction.

Luke Walton was going to be safe last year because the front office was dealing with the difficult task of shedding bad contracts to be able to sign LeBron James this offseason while creating flexibility for a second superstar or to make other moves.

Now that task is done…the next task is getting the coach they want to lead the roster they constructed is next.

Adrian Wojnarowski illustrates what type of coach Magic Johnson wants.

"”Magic’s view of a coach remains Pat Riley. The fiery, old-school (guy). That’s his view. Luke Walton doesn’t fit the mold of what he sees in a head coach.”"

Look, you cannot in any way disagree with Magic Johnson’s vision. Pat Riley is a basketball lifer being a former Lakers player and the director of Showtime as the Head Coach. Plus the two have a very close relationship that transcends past basketball. The level of respect between these two is admirable.

However, a fiery coach may not be what the Lakers need at this point.

Let’s look back about a week to another “fiery” coach in Tom Thibodeau.

One of the many things that got him fired was his inability to reach the young players in Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns. Many questioned the decision of replacing Thibodeau with Ryan Saunders, but Minnesota has won two straight games since. He seems to reach Wiggins and Towns and it shows in their play.

The Lakers players like Walton’s demeanor which is chill and laid back.

Lonzo Ball talks about it to Sam Amick of the Athletic.

"“He’s a very, very chill coach, you know what I mean?” Ball would later tell me. “He kind of gives players the freedom to do what they want to do. And this year, we’ve just got a lot of new players, obviously, and my role changed, and I’m fine with that. I just want to do what I can to help (them) win, and I think Luke wants the same.“(But) that comment challenged us. And we’ve been playing better ever since, so obviously he made the right choice.”"

It seems that the Minnesota Timberwolves game a few games back will define the coaching situation going forward. Luke Walton called out Ball and Brandon Ingram about lacking “passion and fire” after this game.

The message was received. Both played very well in the game against Dallas.

Not only does he have the young players support, but it also seems the veterans respect him too.