When the season started, not too many people paid attention to the Golden State Warriors mainly because Steve Kerr would be out as he rehabilitates from back issues.
Luke Walton was tasked to hold fort which seems to be the case at least until the annual National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star breaks this February.
That would mean that Walton would have to handle the coaching duties for half of the season, which led many to question if the former Los Angeles Laker could keep the Warriors at par with the rising powers in the Western Conference.
Well, Walton has been doing his job since the pre-season and no one really cared. Besides it was only preseason and everyone knew that the real deal would come once the regular season wars kick off.
So far though, he has been coaching perfectly and handling the team with gusto. How could anyone not notice considering the Warriors are 16–0 as of this writing and seemingly unstoppable?
Kerr, although out of the picture physically, is understood to be feeding Walton tips on how to handle the team. But carrying out those instructions is easier said than done. But there was a reason why Kerr picked him to cover for him and the 35-year-old Walton seems to be pretty thankful.
The son of NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton has indeed been opening up the eyes of detractors so far. Thus, it begs to ask the question on what the future has in store for him once Kerr returns and he returns to being an assistant coach. Will other teams try to lure him as a head coach next season?
It is well known how Alvin Gentry was part of last year's championship team and was eventually picked to handle the New Orleans Pelicans. Seeing that a lot of teams are in search of a new head coach, it won't be surprising if Walton ends up getting a head coaching job once his interim head coaching duties come to an end.
Teams possibly looking for a new head coach soon include the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, or even his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers if Byron Scott continues his poor progress.
It could happen but surely, some team has already taken notice of Walton's work to date, not an easy task considering that the Warriors are coming off an NBA title run.
