Luke Walton Is The King Of The North
It didn't take Luke Walton a long time to find a new home after "mutually agreeing" to part ways with the Los Angeles Lakers. Days after the split, the former Warriors' assistant coach was named the man in charge of the Sacramento Kings.
For Walton, the move back to Northern California is a chance to prove his system works. The Kings are coming off their best season in years and are loaded to the brim with young talent. When Walton had that in Golden State, he went 39-4 as the interim head coach while Steve Kerr recovered from spinal surgery.
With the Lakers, Walton underwhelmed. He was handed a young and talented team, but failed to implement his system. The addition of LeBron James at the start of his fourth season didn't help. He finished his Lakers tenure with a 98-148 record.
The Sacramento Kings finished the season with a 39-43 record. Eager to take advantage of their young core, they fired head coach Dave Joerger, who transformed the team in to an offensive powerhouse, but often clashed with management.
About bringing Walton into the fold, recently extended Kings' General Manager Vlade Divac said, "I have known Luke for many years and I am so excited to welcome him and his family to the Sacramento Kings. I look forward to his leadership on the court as we work to build a winning culture for many years to come."
