Of all the things that initially consumed himself with his first head-coaching job, Luke Walton did not think for one second about Thomas Robinson.
Walton had other things to worry about, in no particular order. How can he adjust as an assistant coach to a head coach? How will he implement Golden State’s culture with the Lakers given the talent and experience disparity between the two franchises? How much can Walton elevate D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr? How much can Walton revamp the Lakers’ poorly-ranked defense?
Once informal workouts started this past summer, though, Walton soon began thinking about Robinson.