Luke Walton will join J.B. Bickerstaff’s Cleveland Cavaliers as an assistant coach.
Luke Walton, who was the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, will join J.B. Bickerstaff on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ coaching staff.
In Los Angeles, Walton is best known for both his playing and coaching careers. Although he is the son of basketball legend Bill Walton, he has decided that his next basketball career will be on the bench rather than in the booth, where he can change lives. In any case, Walton will return to Cleveland after spending the last two seasons of his playing career in Arizona.
Could this be the under-the-radar move the Cavaliers need to get back into the NBA playoffs?
Luke Walton has been hired as an assistant coach by the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are, admittedly, close. They were one win away from qualifying for the Eastern Conference Playoffs out of the play-in competition.
While the Cavs were no match for the Brooklyn Nets and then the Atlanta Hawks in their two play-in tournament games, there is growing optimism that they are a club that will be around for a long time. This group is new and energetic, but it could use some help.
Not that Walton will be the perfect pick-me-up on the bench, but he does have more than five years of NBA head-coaching experience.
This is Bickerstaff’s team without a question, but bear in mind that Walton was a top assistant coach on Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors staff before taking over his former team. Walton brings a wealth of experience to the table.
Given how much better this year’s Cavs team was than previous ones, a playoff berth is a certainty for this group. We’ll see what they’re made of if they reach the playoffs and see if they can win a series or two. It’s all about securing a top-six seed to avoid having to compete in the play-in event. They are now battle-tested if they have to play in it again.
Cleveland made a tremendous summer move by bringing in Walton to the Cavaliers’ bench.
