Heading into the season, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton and the front office stressed the importance of growth and remaining patient with the young roster core. But tough losses to playoff-caliber teams prompted Walton to adjust the barometer ever so slightly.
He’d spent the first few weeks of the season explaining he wasn’t overly consumed with wins and losses, so long as his team played the right way. However, the Lakers proving they can compete on any given night led Walton to proclaiming an expectation was set to win those games with some regularity.