How Warriors' Mike Brown could tell Lakers' Luke Walton would become a good coach

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OAKLAND – The incident marked one of many moments of frustration as Luke Walton handled both diminished playing time and an injured back. The incident also indicated to Mike Brown that Walton would eventually excel in anything following his NBA career, including coaching.

The setting: Brown spent the 2011-12 season as his first year coaching the Lakers, a stint that boasted challenges during a lockout shortened year that included replacing a former NBA coaching icon (Phil Jackson). Walton spent what would mark his ninth and final season with the Lakers averaging career-lows in points (1.3), minutes (7.2) and appearances (nine) amid ongoing injuries to his back. So, Walton spoke with Brown privately and asked directly what he could do to receive more playing time.

The meeting did not spark any change in Brown’s rotations. The meeting provided Brown a glimpse, though, on what Walton’s post-retirement career could entail.

“You could just tell the way he asked questions and his demeanor that he was going to be something good in basketball after he got done playing,” Brown told Bay Area News Group.

Brown found Walton “very professional” when he voiced his concerns. Brown noticed that Walton “took it in stride” when Brown did not offer any promises of an increased role.

“It was almost like, not that he accepted it. But he accepted it and moved on from it,” Brown said. “It wasn’t a lot of fight or anything like that. It was a real easy conversation to have.”

Shortly afterwards, the Lakers sent Walton, Jason Kapono and cash considerations to Cleveland for Ramon Sessions amid the team’s quest to clear salary and bolster their backcourt.

“I like Mike a lot. I think he’s a great coach,” Walton said before the Warriors’ 113-106 victory over the Lakers on Friday at Oracle Arena. “But it was short lived. It wasn’t very long together.”

It was long enough, though, for Brown to see Walton’s long-term potential as a coach.

“He’s a charismatic guy and easy to get along with, everybody obviously likes him and he’s smart,” Brown said. “That’s the one thing that stands out before anything. It’s how intelligent he is and how well he can articulate things and communicate.”

After he played one more season with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2012-13), Walton quickly joined the coaching fraternity. In 2013-14, Walton became a player development coach for the D-Fenders, the Lakers’ former Development League affiliate. Warriors coach Steve Kerr then hired Walton for the 2014-15 season as an assistant. Following Alvin Gentry’s departure for a head-coaching job with the New Orleans Pelicans, Walton unexpectedly assumed a bigger role as an interim head coach while Kerr dealt with complications involving back surgery. Walton’s stock then rose when he went 39-4 to open the 2015-16 season.

Kerr observed that Walton initially “was panicked” with drawing up plays without any previous head-coaching experience. Yet, Kerr noticed the learning curve quickly evaporating because “Luke has as sharp of a basketball mind as I’ve ever met” after playing for two Hall of Fame coaches at the University of Arizona (Lute Olson) and the Lakers (Jackson). Then in the 2016 offseason, the Lakers hired Walton to replace Byron Scott. The Lakers went 26-66 during Walton’s first season. The Lakers (11-19) are currently ranked 11th in the Western Conference. Yet, Walton has drawn praise from both the Warriors (26-6) and Lakers on how he has developed a young roster.

“He was made for this job,” Kerr said of Walton. “Even two years ago when he took the job, I never worried about him. I don’t know that I’ve seen some dramatic evolution because he was born to do this anyway.”

And he was born to do this, apparently because of Warriors forward Draymond Green.

“I got him his job. That’s what I told him,” Green, said smiling. “‘I got you your job.’ You better tell your guys over there. “

That only marked one of several instances Green talked trash with Walton during Friday’s game. The Warriors also have shared playful digs to Walton about his previous interim head-coaching stint. Before the Warriors first played the Lakers this season on Nov. 29, Warriors spokesman Raymond Ridder placed a paper on a lectern titled “All-Time Warriors’ Interim Head Coach Winning List.” Brown is ranked first with a 12-0 record during the 2017 NBA playoffs, while Kerr had complications with his back. Walton was listed as “last” for his 39-4 record.

After poking fun at Ridder for his prank, Walton mused that the records “all go to Steve anyway; so we’re both 0-0.”

“I think Luke said it best,” Brown said. It might look good on Raymond’s piece of paper. But it all goes to Steve, anyway. So it doesn’t matter. Steve is such a great guy. This organization is terrific and the players are terrific. The reality of it is I’m just happy to be here. I think Luke was, too. So, we don’t even think of anything like that until a guy like Raymond brings it up.”

Instead, Brown has thought of what his current gig has done for his own coaching career.

Brown led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals and won the league’s Coach of the Year award in 2009. But Cleveland fired Brown following the 2009-10 season, reportedly out of hopes the move would be enough to entice LeBron James to stay. After the Lakers hired Brown for the 2011-12 season, Brown led them to the Western Conference semifinals despite challenges stemmed from a lock-out shortened season, the nixed Chris Paul deal, Lamar Odom’s departure and Pau Gasol’s diminished standing. The Lakers then fired Brown five games into the 2012-13 campaign following a 1-4 start despite fielding Kobe Bryant, Gasol, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Metta World Peace in the starting lineup. Brown then had another short stint in Cleveland (2013-14) before getting fired again.

Through it all, Brown received criticism and praise for his grinding mentality.

“We had long practices and long film sessions,” Walton remembered. “Then they traded me. So it was only a little bit of time we spent together.”

Therefore, Brown did not exactly consult Walton on how to handle his Warriors assistant coaching gig. From afar, though, Brown admired Walton because he “didn’t change much” of the team’s concepts during Kerr’s absence. When Brown took over, he tried to do the same thing since he considered the Warriors “like an engine where it’s almost capable of running itself.”

“I love Mike. He’s sharp and is a great friend and great teammate,” Kerr said. “He could easily be a domineering personality given that he’s been a head coach in this league. Yet, he’s taken to the assistant role really well. He has great suggestions, but he backs off when he needs to. He understands my role. He understands the seat that I’m in. He was there. He has a good feel for when to say something and when not to. He’s been great. He’s really fantastic.”

Green said he has felt the same way after spending lots of time after practice talking with Brown.

“He’s kind of the opposite of Steve, which is good. You can’t have everybody the same,” Green said. “There’s no checks and balances if everyone is this way. They’re kind of opposites, which is good for us. Luke’s more like Steve. But they were a good tandem as well. They’re just different. Both, we relate to. But Luke’s also more offensive minded, while Mike is a little more defensive minded than Luke. He’s a great offensive mind.”

Walton’s great offensive mind did not translate into a big role under Brown during his final season for the Lakers. As Walton expressed his hope for more playing time, though, it offered a window on how he would tackle a head-coaching role a few years later.

“Part of it I think comes from being a role player for a lot of my career and knowing how much more part of and involved I was when I occasionally got to play,” Walton said. “I can relate to those guys that are fighting for minutes.”

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