Lakers News: Luke Walton Doesn’t See Young Core Becoming The Face Of The Franchise Anytime Soon

Trevor Lane
3 Min Read
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers ushered in a new era when they hired Luke Walton as their head coach last summer. With the departure of previous head coach Byron Scott as well as the retirement of superstar guard Kobe Bryant, it was clear the organization would be handed over to their young players in an effort to build the future.

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However, it appears that Walton doesn’t believe that any of the Lakers’ young talent are quite ready to take the reigns just yet. He said as much to Mychal Thompson in an interview with ESPN LA (via Lakers Nation’s Serena Winters):

While Lakers fans are anxious for an heir-apparent to Bryant’s throne, it’s hard to argue with Walton’s line of thinking. Los Angeles does indeed have a number of intriguing young players, including D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and Brandon Ingram, but none of them are even at an All-Star level at this point, much less in consideration to take over as the face of the franchise.

Nor are they expected to be.

As a team, the Lakers are a young bunch that is still learning the ropes in the NBA. Russell, who many believe is most likely to become a star, is only in his second season, while Ingram is 19 and has a ways to go physically before he can handle the professional game.

Given the team’s recent struggles with finding wins, the coach instead is simply reminding everyone that patience is going to be required. No one player is at a level where they can take over just yet, and as such, they will have to find a way to get it done as a team.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com
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