Los Angeles Lakers: 3 reasons fans shouldn’t be panicking

2. We knew Luke Walton needed to go

Come on. Did anyone actually believe Luke Walton was going to successfully coach LeBron? If you’re being honest with yourself, the answer to that question should be “no.”

Walton was doomed from the get-go. We’ve seen how easily James chews up and spits out novice coaches, as he burned through two inexperienced NBA head coaches during his most recent stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Walton surviving even one year under the King seemed like a stretch.

Now, it appears Walton’s inevitable fate is nearly upon us. The latest word is the Lakers head coach is set to be canned at the end of what’s turned out to be an utterly disappointing season (via the New York Times‘ Marc Stein). There were already concerns about his ability to lead this team into a brighter future, and what we’ve seen in his first year with James on the roster has only confirmed those fears.

The Lakers had to let it play out, though. Walton deserved at least one season to try and prove the skeptics wrong. That didn’t happen, but he gave it a good effort, right?

A veteran leader is needed to take the reins of this Lakers squad, not someone who was drafted the same year James was. We have to appreciate Walton for the monstrous challenge he accepted when he signed on to lead Los Angeles, but he’s not the man for the job.

Hopefully the Lakers can find the right fit this upcoming offseason.