With the Los Angeles Lakers season now over, there is uncertainty over who will be back next year. Most believe that head coach Luke Walton and his staff will not be back, although Magic Johnson’s sudden resignation could change that.
For his part, Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma is lending support to the entire staff. At his exit interview, Kuzma praised his coaches for giving him the opportunity to succeed from the get-go:
Kuzma: "The coaching staff means a lot. Those guys put me in position to be where I am right now." Says Walton and the staff believed in him, "let me be me." BK
— Kamenetzky Brothers (@KamBrothers) April 10, 2019
For whatever flaws Walton has, and there are plenty to analyze, it seems as though the head coach almost always had the respect of his players. There were some outbursts and arguments because of boiled over frustrations, but the young players, those who have been with Luke for more than a year, always seemed to be behind him.
That may not matter much, of course. The Lakers will have some changes in the front office that can lead to changes on the sidelines. LeBron James’ needs will be more crucial to address than Kuzma and the rest of the young core’s.
But Walton suddenly has some life in his career. There’s a chance he can survive all of this.
