For Starters, Walton Could End Up as One, By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer, 10/11/05
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HONOLULU — They were all glad to see Coach Phil Jackson back in the fold — Devean George, Slava Medvedenko, even Brian Cook — but the biggest beneficiary of the Jackson-Laker reunion might be Luke Walton.
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A gifted passer, Walton was mainly passed up last season, his minutes and points barely increasing after a relatively intriguing rookie season. He has had a strong camp here, making outside shots and continuing to show touch with his passes, a combination that might make him one of Jackson's five, along with Kobe Bryant, Kwame Brown, Lamar Odom and Chris Mihm.
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"He a guy that's a real key to our bench and, I don't know, he may be a starter," Jackson said coyly on Monday. "He just might be."
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Walton, who signed a two-year deal to stay with the Lakers after becoming a restricted free agent last summer, would play shooting guard, with Bryant moving to small forward, Odom running the point, Mihm playing center and Brown taking power forward.
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Walton played a similar position toward the end of last season and improved his output, nearly gaining a triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in a late-season loss to the Sacramento Kings.
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Overall, though, Walton's production and playing time never took that extra step last season after he sprained an ankle in training camp. He averaged 3.2 points and 12.6 minutes in 61 games.