Getty Luke Walton of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on in dismay during the lakers tumultuous 2018-2019 season.
Following yet another embarrassing blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, talks heated up around Luke Walton and the Los Angeles Lakers head coach rumors. On the hot seat after an abysmal season, the Lakers and LeBron James sit at just 35-43 on the year at the time of this writing – ensuring they end up with a losing season. A losing season with the game’s biggest superstar is enough to put any NBA coach on the hot seat and as a result, even betting odds have Walton pegged as an underdog to retain his current job.
Despite early struggles in the year when figuring out rotations, at one point the fully healthy Lakers fought their way up to fourth in the Western Conference Standings. Unfortunately, the injury bug would rear its head and the Lakers lost James with a groin injury for just over a month and would never look the same. Once James returned, the Lakers dealt with injuries to their young core and would eventually lose both Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram for the season.
Lakers’ Luke Walton Doesn’t Deserve All the Blame, says Tracy McGrady
On ESPN’s The Jump, former NBA Superstar Tracy McGrady shared his take on the Lakers coaching situation and shifted the blame from Walton to some other members of the Lakers organization.
When prompted by ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols on if McGrady felt that the Lakers problems stemmed from coaching, he essentially scoffed at the question.
“No, no not at all. We’ve talked about this so many times on this show, I mean, this team was rolling up until December until an injury took place.” McGrady said, adding, “It’s all about health and if there is blame to go around, you’re going to have to look at the guys who surround the talent for LeBron James.”
McGrady would on to explain how the Laker front office failed to put a team together that could at least tread water in the absence of James. Specifically, their inability to go out and land someone who could carry the load in LeBron’s absence and their choice to surround LeBron with heaps of playmakers as opposed to shooters.
Lakers Head Coach Rumors, Who Are Other Candidates Outside of Walton?
Aside from Walton, there are a few possible names who stick out as candidates to coach LeBron James and the Lakers in 2019-2020.
Currently an assistant coach with the Miami Heat, Juwan Howard was once a teammate of LeBron’s in Miami where the two won a ring together. By all accounts someone LeBron has immense respect for and having got some seasoning under the brilliant Erik Spoelstra, Howard checks all the boxes along with having solid connections to the Lakers front office.
Tyronn Lue
LeBron James’ former coach in Cleveland, the jobless Lue was one of the first names to pop up once Walton took his place on the hot seat. Though mocked during his time in Cleveland for being more of an assistant coach to LeBron James, those around Lue rave about his basketball IQ. For what it is worth, the man has experience handling the LeBron James circus and might have won three straight titles had Kevin Durant not decided to join the Warriors.
Tom Thibodeau
After showing an inability to take a super talented Timberwolves team deep into the playoffs, Tom Thibodeau finds himself on the hunt for yet another job. After injuries derailed his promising Bulls teams and locker room dysfunction coupled with an inability to control the team ended his tenure with the Wolves, Thibs is still highly regarded as a defensive mind in the NBA. For a team that plays as poorly as the Lakers do on defense, that mindset might just come in handy.