Luke Walton Commends Lakers For ‘Playing As Hard As They Can’ As Playoff Drought Reaches 6th Consecutive Year

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

After showing noted improvement in the second season under head coach Luke Walton, the Los Angeles Lakers were expected to take a significant step forward. Both because of the young core developing and also the arrival of LeBron James.

While his signing brought about championship expectations, the Lakers are due to fall remarkably short. They are just days away from their playoff drought officially reaching a sixth consecutive year.

As they began to fade in the Western Conference standings, the Lakers easily could have begun to mail it in. Walton commended his team for continuing to put their best foot forward.

“The road trip, win-loss didn’t go the way we want, but with the injuries we have and where we’re at in the season, it can be easy to quit sometimes. Our guys are going out there and competing, playing as hard as they can and giving us a chance to be in the games,” he said.

“We felt like we should’ve won two of those games, and we were in all of them with limited numbers. As long as we keep getting that type of effort, I’m happy with the group. I think they’ve been great. It’s not easy.

“Everyone planned on having a better year than this, but it’s still our jobs to come in, whether it’s a game or practice, and bring it. Play to a certain level. I think our guys have done a nice job of doing that.”

The Lakers return from a 1-4 road trip with seven of their remaining 11 games at home. One of the road contests is a matchup with the L.A. Clippers. Upon concluding the road trip, Walton expressed hope the Lakers would find their footing and finish the season on a positive note.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com