NBA Rumors: Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson Emerge As Potential Candidates If Lakers Fire Luke Walton, Per ‘Scoop B’
With the Los Angeles Lakers off to a slow start, rumors and speculations continue to swirl that the team may consider firing Luke Walton as head coach. After back-to-back losses against the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers President of Basketball Operations reportedly “admonished” Walton for their struggle, according to ESPN.
Luke Walton’s job security reportedly depends upon his ability to “significantly improve” the Lakers’ record in the 2018-19 NBA season. If the Lakers decide to part ways with Walton, Brandon Robinson of Scoop B revealed that Jason Kidd and Mark Jackson have emerged as potential candidates to become the new head coach of the purple and gold.
“Luke Walton gone in LA? If Walton were fired, Mark Jackson is a likely candidate. So is Jason Kidd. I asked a credible league source this afternoon whether they thought Kidd would be a good fit. They told me: ‘it would be great’ and ‘anything is possible.'”
Both Jason Kidd and Mark Jackson have experience as head coach. Jackson mentored the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors for three seasons before he was replaced by Steve Kerr in 2014. Meanwhile, Kidd last coached the Milwaukee Bucks where he posted a 139-152 win-loss record.
Lakers superstar LeBron James has huge respect for Jason Kidd. According to Basketball Society, James has a good relationship with the NBA Hall of Famer and “always wanted to play with J-Kidd.”
Hi from Portland. Here's everything you need to know about what upset Magic Johnson, where things stand for Luke Walton and what happens now. Story from me and @BA_Turner https://t.co/dfzxB91rqU
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) November 3, 2018
As of now, the Lakers haven’t made an official announcement whether they are planning to find a new head coach or not. Fans who wanted Luke Walton to stay somewhat felt a sense of relief after the Lakers survived a scary Halloween clash against the Dallas Mavericks. Also, as ESPN noted, LeBron James, who clashed with his previous coaches, like Erik Spoelstra and David Blatt, has been “publicly” and “privately” supportive of Walton.
Even before the 2018-19 NBA season started, James already knew that the Lakers would need to undergo a series of adjustments before becoming a serious threat in the Western Conference. James said that as of now, Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton is still trying to figure out what lineups work best for the team. In the seven games the Lakers played this season, Walton has already used 93 different lineups.
Luke Walton shouldn’t take all the blame for the Lakers’ slow start. The Lakers entered the season with Lonzo Ball coming back from an injury, while two of their starters, Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo, earned suspensions after being involved in a brawl in their game against the Houston Rockets. So far, the Lakers are 3-5 and are set to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night at Moda Center.
