Whoa! Just started browsing thru my sports sites today and what do I see? LLLLLLUUUUKKKKEEEEE!!!! My switch to this avatar very early in the season worked!!! I'm very optimistic that this will work. This is the first good coaching hire the Front Office has had since Phil left. Now let's get this wagon back on the right track!
I can't stress this enough. Luke is fine as head coach but we really need tacticians as our assistants if we're going to be successful.
Blatt, try to poach Lawrence Frank from the Clips, Mike Longabardi from the Cavs, retain Larry Lewis, and promote the dude from the D-League, Casey Owens. Luke Walton - Head Coach David Blatt - Lead Assistant. Mike Longabardi or Frank (Defensive Coordinator) Casey Owens (Analytics) Larry Lewis (Developmental Coach)
Luke wasn't my 1st choice but somehow I have a very good feeling about this hire. I prioritize player development and Luke seems to fit the bill perfectly. Very excited.
...the ability to communicate with a wide range of people. That alone is very important. The "my way or the highway" will get you nowhere fast at this level.
Oh begeezus that was fast. Well I'm going to go into good karma mode here and have positive thoughts about this. I love Luke and my gut feels good about it but this is a way different gig than taking over GSW. If you told me a week ago Byron was out and Luke in I'd have danced a jig though. I might still in another beer or 3.
No more players getting hurt in basic training, I mean preseason any more. Our players will actually be taught. We will have a modern offense with spacing and ball movement. No more iso offense. No more boron. Welcome back to LA Luuuuke.
^Yes, Walton should be able to institute a system that he will tailor it to the strengths of the Laker squad. Of course, we're all smart enough here that it will take time but one thing for sure is that there will be cohesiveness and a sense of structure that the kids can take to flourish as players. Walton will treat them like men not a group of buck privates. He'll empower them as individuals yet teach as the season wears on. It would be common sense of Laker brass to surround him with capable assistants.
Very happy about this! Now we can sell some kind of vision. And I think Luke fits, regardless if we go into the season with only the youngins or some big FAs. One nice sideeffect might be that we could now be able to convince Black/Bass to give this another shot (if we want that, which I think we should, depending on who else we get).
Let's keep the Luke praise going , from Kobe earlier this season Mitch from earlier this season, same article :Mitchthumbs:
Thanks FO for letting Byron go. Hope losing mentality walks with him...Welcome on board Luke. New start. New hopes.
Which means you are the other 50% Mitch. As for weapons, it's time for you to go into Khashoggi arms trader mode. Doesn't mean blow our whole wad this off-season either, if the right deals aren't there, get us guys to be competitive on short term contracts, we can attract the star FAs next summer because imo this summer don't look so hot for us in that respect. Keep the flexibility but get us competitive, that's this summer's goal (assuming @ 12:00am July 1, KD hangs up the phone on us).
Ramona Shelbourne said we don't have anything to build around. Really? Are you f***ing stupid Ramona? D'Angelo who had a really solid rookie year considering he got benched a number of times and had to fight Lou and Huertas for minutes and still had one of the best seasons ever really for a 19 year old guard. Clarkson who at worst is an elite sixth man. Randle and already double double machine who is only getting better and improved greatly from where he started at the beginning. Oh and can't forget Larry Nance Jr. The only thing stopping him from a really good NBA career is that knee. That's PLENTY to build around even without a premier free agent.
