Lakers president Magic Johnson reprimanded coach Luke Walton for his slow start

A 3-5 starts later …

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

In a meeting Tuesday after a winless match, Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson scolded coach Luke Walton for the team's slow start to the season, ESPN league sources said. .

The aggressive tone of Johnson's meetings was circulated to all members of the organization, including the main owner, Jeanie Buss, sources in the league said. Throughout his tenure with the Lakers, Johnson has earned an internal reputation for his often unstable management style, including his management of Walton and the coaching staff, sources said.

It might not have been LeBron's patience that should have bothered us.

That does not mean the Lakers are going to fire Walton. That may be just Johnson's leadership style. He has apparently already exhibited this volatility and he has never dismissed a coach.

But many people around the league thought Johnson was planning to sack Walton last season. Do not forget that Johnson inherited rather than being hired, Walton. (But Buss participated in Walton's selection, which complicates things.)

Walton seemed to be training the Warriors, who had a talent from another world. He also seemed to be training with a bad Lakers team last season. It would be abrupt to send Walton away now, but he does not deserve an appointment for life either.

The main problem of the Lakers is the construction of the alignment around LeBron. Walton can only do a lot to keep these veterans and these young, incompatible players learning to win.

As I wrote when Johnson made his pre-season comment about Walton, it's one thing to soberly assess the situation before the season. This is another way to support Walton while living every day with losses. The enlightened analysis is probably more reliable. If Johnson really thought what he had said before the season, he should come back on those comments to anchor himself.

But Johnson seems somewhat erratic. Walton may want to do business this weekend – at the Trail Blazers on Saturday, against the Raptors on Sunday. It's a difficult exercise, even if your boss did not hide you.