The post-Kobe Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to be rebuilding and many expected them to be really bad this season. It's still seven games into the season but the young core of the Lakers are making strides under Luke Walton.
They are currently 4-3 and are tied for fifth place with the Portland Trailblazers and the Utah Jazz who are serious playoff teams. They lost to Utah, OKC, and Indiana but they also posted wins against really strong teams. They won against the Houston Rockets, the Atlanta Hawks, the Golden State Warriors, and the Phoenix Suns.
Perhaps the most impressive win in their resume early in the season is the one against the Warriors. They played hard for 48 minutes on both ends of the floor and won the game by 20 points, 117-97. They were making open shots, running the floor, moving without the ball, sharing the basketball, closing out shooters, rotating on defense, getting rebounds, and making highlight plays.
Not only did they score in bunches, they also showed maturity and poise in the fourth quarter when the Warriors cut down the lead to single digits. They never panicked and kept doing the things that gave them the lead in the first place, aggressive but patient offense and relentless defense. They kept the Warriors at bay and built the lead back to double digits again.
It was the first time Walton went head-to-head with Steve Kerr whom he was an assistant in previous years. Walton lead the Warriors at the start of last season while Kerr was recovering from a back surgery. Many expected Walton to bring with him the brand of basketball that made the Warriors a title contender for the past three years and so far Lakers players are accepting what he is preaching.
Sophomore Julius Randle is optimistic that great things are ahead for the Lakers but is aware that the road will not be easy. "It's a good start for us," said Randle. "It shows how good we can be, but we've got to continue to build on it."
The players are playing hard and having fun in the process. They now trust each other more which shows in the way they share the ball. "I think we are all starting to trust each other," said veteran guard Lou Williams. "We are just playing. We are having a lot of fun. And it's working out for us."
While the Lakers have performed better than expected, Walton is convinced that they still have a long way to go. They have good young players in D'Angelo Russel, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, and Jordan Clarkson. They just have to continue to trust the process and let Walton lead the way.
