Luke Walton’s experiments have Lakers finding new success in 2018

By Michael Chastain

The Lakers have been missing play creating ability from the point guard position with Lonzo Ball sidelined for the last 13 games with an MCL sprain. Lately, Head Coach Luke Walton has found that spark by testing small forward Brandon Ingram at point guard, where he has excelled at creating offense.

Late in the 2nd quarter of the Lakers’ 108–104 win over Oklahoma City on Thursday, Ingram set up a beautiful sequence in half-court that led to a wide open corner three-pointer for Jordan Clarkson.

“Walton just wanted me to be aggressive,” Ingram told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, “[Playing point] gives me a chance to attack the basket, get to my spots and get other people involved.”

Plays like the assist to Clarkson on Saturday show the flashes of brilliance the Lakers saw in Ingram when selecting him as the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Walton’s outside of the box thinking has helped the Lakers win 12 of the last 17 games after posting an 11–24 record for the 2017 part of the season.

Walton will try to continue tapping into this successful formula, while solving the challenge of including the newly acquired Isaiah Thomas and a healthy Lonzo Ball into the backcourt. If he can crack the code, the Lakers will pass their ESPN’s low pre-season expectations of 33.0 wins and 13th place.

The Lakers are currently 23–32 and sit only six and a half games out of the playoffs in 11th place. Fans saw this year as nothing more than a chance to give young talent experience, while waiting to sign one or two maximum salary players in the offseason.

Earlier this season a playoff spot looked impossible, but if Lakers’ improved chemistry in 2018 is a sign of things to come they may be on a Cinderella run after the All-Star break.