NBA Rumors: Former Lakers Coach Believes Luke Walton Will Be Fired

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton is under a lot of heat lately, with most believing that he will be given the pink slip after the 2018-19 NBA season wraps up. And one person who believes he is doomed is Byron Scott, who coached the purple and gold before the 38-year-old came in.

In a report from TMZ Sports, Scott said he is a fan of Walton and believes the young head coach did a fine job given the current circumstances. The 57-year-old may be the best person to comment on how it feels being in the hot seat as he is someone who got the boot back in 2016. He coached the Lakers for two years starting from 2014.

Scott also emphasized that when a team does bad, it would be the coach who would normally be the first to go.

"At the end of the day, I can tell you this from past experience, coach is always first to go. That's just how it is," he said.

The three-time NBA champion also had the chance to coach the Lakers but with Kobe Bryant still around. The only problem is that the Black Mamba was in the twilight of his career and had to deal with injuries that prevented him from being his explosive self.

Unlike Scott, Walton’s tenure as Lakers head coach was the exact opposite. The former Laker had to start with a bunch of young players and rising NBA vets. After leading the Golden State Warriors to a remarkable run as an interim coach, the same was expected for him back in 2016.

Walton had improved on Scott’s tenure and he did it without a bonafide superstar on the roster. But everything changed last NBA offseason when LeBron James came into the picture.

With one of the best NBA players in the league, most had expected the Lakers to at least reach the NBA playoffs. But somewhat similar to Kobe’s time, James also had his share of injuries. There were promising players in the mix, although it was clear the Lakers lacked the talent to back up the King.

For Scott, he believes Walton deserves another chance although their impending finish this NBA season is likely to weigh in more.

"I don't think [firing Walton] is something that is warranted but if you look at their team, you look at their record, you look at the season ... everybody thought they would make the playoffs."

As to who will succeed Walton if he does get fired remains a mystery. But as mentioned in a previous post, Earvin “Magic” Johnson has someone in mind and that guy is currently coaching this NBA season.