It has been a busy offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers, and they have taken the necessary steps to building a contender. The biggest step in the right direction for Los Angeles was terminating Byron Scott and filling the head coaching vacancy with Luke Walton, who made a name for himself after leading the Golden State Warriors to a record of 39-4 as their interim head coach.
The Walton hire had Lakers fans and former players alike buzzing about the possibility of the Lakers eventually returning to contention. Jamaal Wilkes, whose uniform hangs in the rafters of Staples Center, believes that the front office made the right choice in hiring Walton, but he claimed they have failed to surround the new head coach with talent in an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio:
"I am excited about Luke Walton being hired as the coach but he still needs great players" Jamaal Wilkes on #Lakers of hiring Luke Walton
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 14, 2016
There have been rumors of blockbuster trades that could potentially bring the Lakers to immediate title contention, but such deals would require Los Angeles to unload all of its young talent that they have acquired through the draft. It is evident through the unwillingness to part with their young assets that the Lakers are content with allowing their young core to develop and become a title contender in a few years.
Most of the Lakers’ core are young guys within their first three years of their careers who will not hit their primes for several more seasons. Wilkes acknowledges that the Lakers are on the right track, but they will not be a title contender for several years:
Jamaal Wilkes believes the transition period for the Lakers will take another 2-3 years for the team to be a contender again #LakersNation
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 14, 2016
Two to three years is not a bad prospect for patient Lakers fans who are tired of seeing their beloved team losing year after year. Should the young core develop together, they will certainly be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come.
