It came as no surprise that LeBron James‘ absence has exposed some of the Lakers’ most pressing concerns. Those issues have always been there, but they’re magnified tenfold without their best player in the lineup and with the expectations compounded by the tremendous strides they’ve made since he’s joined the team.
That’s not to say their early progress was fools’ gold; it’s just a further testament to LeBron’s impact. But you can measure a team’s maturation by how they respond to losing a key player to injury for an extended period, and the returns since LeBron went down with a strained groin on Christmas have not been promising.
The Lakers have gone 4-7 in that stretch, which has included some particularly ugly losses to some of the East’s lowliest squads. According to head coach Luke Walton, it’s all part of the learning curve.
In fact, he claims he’s relishing the opportunity for his team to meet these obstacles head on, via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN:
“It’s the best job in the world, and I love the challenge that we have,” Walton told ESPN in a recent interview. “It’s challenging, it’s hard, it’s sleepless nights. But it’s also awesome.”
Most coaches in his position would be worried about their job, but Walton is perhaps secure in the knowledge that team president Magic Johnson has publicly assured him that his position is safe…at least until the end of the season…barring something drastic happening.
Or, perhaps he’s feeling encouraged by the recent update that LeBron is scheduled to resume practicing next week and has only officially been ruled out of the next two games. Still, the relentless scrutiny and the mounting pressure to make some sort of move as the February trade deadline approaches will only grow more pronounced in the coming weeks. For their sake, let’s hope the young Lakers are embracing the challenge with the same eagerness as their fearless coach.
(ESPN)
