When a team loses 14 of its last 16 games like the Los Angeles Lakers have, it can become very easy for the worst to come out of individuals and the team as a whole. Sometimes players begin pointing fingers and blaming each other for the team’s failures.
Something like that could fracture a team and ruin the development of the players which would be the biggest possible nightmare for head coach Luke Walton, but thankfully that doesn’t seem to be the case.
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According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, Walton doesn’t see any attitude problems with any of his players so far:
Luke Walton says he doesn't see any attitude problems with players. He chalks latest adversities to learning curve and building habits
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) December 31, 2016
This is a good thing for the Lakers as even though times are tough, the team is sticking together and trying to push through. Moving through adversity as a team will not only turn things around quicker, but it will speed up the development of the young players and help build the mental toughness that Luke Walton wants to see from his team.
Walton has spoken about how adversity is necessary in building teams. He believes that all teams must go through tough times in order to be successful. If the Lakers were to splinter and separate, however, that success would never come.
One thing Walton has done this season is get the entire team to buy in to his vision. He is building the foundation for future success for this franchise and every player believes in what Walton is talking.
The Lakers’ next chance to begin righting the ship will come on New Year’s Day, but it won’t be easy as they take on one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors.