Apparently having LeBron James on your team doesn’t help Los Angeles Lakers’ coach Luke Walton odds to be the first NBA coach fired this season. The 38-year-old has been at the helm of the Lakers since 2016, but oddsmakers believe this year will be his last.
Bovada has the son of famed basketball player Bill Walton at 7/4 to be the first one shown the door. Minnesota Timberwolves head man Tom Thibodeau is next at 2/1.
The Lakers had a record of 26-56 in Walton’s first year in 2016. Last season they were 35-47, and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
New Hope with James
When the Lakers landed James in free agency, however, oddsmakers believed the team was an instant playoff contender, despite not having anyone around the 34-year-old superstar. Money started coming in James’ new team to make the playoffs, and win the NBA Championship.
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook had the new look Lakers as a -450 to make the postseason, and a +350 to miss the playoffs. Even before his arrival in LA, the team was expected to land James and their odds to win the NBA Championship opened at 20/1. As soon as James announced he was going to be a Laker, the odds dropped to 12/1.
James flamed the fire of fans’ hopes when he hinted the team was capable of taking home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“The goal is to always win a championship. That is the goal,” James said during the preseason. “But that is up there, but us as a young team and only recently coming together, we have to continue to get better every day. We have to work championship habits every day. If we can do that and progress each and every day, each and every week, then we’ll give ourselves the best chance to be successful. How successful? That is the unknown but what can be known for sure is if we work our tails off and we sacrifice for one another, we play the right way then we can be a good team,”
Slow Start Fuels Rumors
The Lakers struggled right out of the gate, losing its first three games, including a 124-115 defeat to the Houston Rockets, a team they need to beat if they are going to challenge for the Western Conference Championship.
When the team reached a record of 3-5 record, team president Magic Johnson brought in Walton and blamed him for the team’s poor start.
“I said it, Luke took it and we’re all good,” Johnson said. He quickly added that he doesn’t make rash decisions on people’s careers, and noted that Walton’s job was safe this season.
Since the meeting, the team has played better. They are currently 7-6, a game above .500, and tied for eighth in the Western Conference.
With Walton’s status secure for now, that leaves Thibodeau, whose job seems infinitely shakier. The Timberwolves coach has been rumored to be on the hot seat since the summer, when ownership mulled over whether to let him go.
Thibodeau, who also serves as the team’s president, had to deal with the controversy regarding Jimmy Butler, who demanded a trade. The team granted him his wish earlier this week, shipping him off to Philadelphia for Dario Saric, Robert Covington, and a second-round pick.
Many thought Minnesota could have gotten more for Butler, and Thibodeau might be collateral damage even though he didn’t make the deal. The Timberwolves are currently 14th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference.