Walton in the mix of Lakers' quick fix, Easygoing former Wildcat now starting for Los Angeles, By Bruce Pascoe
ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 5/4/06
PHOENIX — One way you know Luke Walton hasn't changed much since leaving Arizona three years ago: There he is, in the middle of the Los Angeles Lakers' offense, taking advantage of opportunities and finding teammates at the right time, in the right place.
Another way you know Walton is the same, laid-back dude from San Diego: Even controversies don't bother him.
So what if he has been among the most frequently accused characters in the hard-fought first-round series between the Lakers and Suns, with some thinking he fouled Steve Nash and extended his foot out of bounds during critical Game 4 action?
"What's the controversy?" Walton said, smiling, of his alleged step out of bounds. "Oh, no, it was a good clean play. I'll put an end to the controversy."
Before Tuesday's Game 5, when the Suns sent the series back to Los Angeles with a 114-97 win, Walton's biggest concern was a punch in the leg from teammate Ronny Turiaf.
"Oh my Lord," Walton said after Turiaf popped him following a pre-game shootaround. "He's still mad about the Gonzaga game that we got (a double-overtime UA win in the second round of the 2003 NCAA tournament). I'm gonna get you for that one, Ronny. I owe you two for that one."
But with Walton, easygoing is never to be confused with a lack of initiative or intelligence. Walton is averaging 34.5 minutes per game in the series, and UA assistant coach Jim Rosborough says Lakers coach Phil Jackson is finding Walton increasingly a key ingredient to his triangle offense.
"I think Jackson was a brainy, smart type of player like Luke, and I think he's fully appreciative of him," Rosborough said. "Luke's setting himself up for another 10 years right now. He's been phenomenal. Not only the passes but the execution of the passes. Everything he does is smart."
Jackson inserted Walton in the starting lineup toward the end of the regular season, just when the Lakers began transforming themselves into a different kind of team.
Los Angeles won the last five games of the season with Walton in the starting lineup and holds a 3-2 series advantage over the Suns with him, too.
"When (Jackson) first started me, he told me it was on a game-by-game type of thing and he wasn't sure if he wanted me off the bench with the second unit or starting," Walton said. "It's gotten better and better.
"Coming into this season my goal was to be a starter, but I had a pretty good training camp. I got hurt at the beginning of the season then was up and down during the season. Phil said he wasn't losing faith in me. He knew I could play and he was continuing to get me opportunities."
He knew Walton could play well in a number of areas.
"His floor play is always a pleasure for a coach," Jackson said. "He goes to the ball in the right spot; he rotates defensively in key situations with the right attitude and the right ability. He can play outside in, and offensively that gives us someone who can handle the ball on the outside and also play the post. On the other end, he can play outside against exterior ball players or go inside and play against post players. He's a very adjustable ball player."
Nash said it helps that the Lakers now look to go more inside, forcing defenses to leave Walton free.
"They put a lot of pressure on their two bigs," Nash said. "That gives him space and opportunity. During the regular season they didn't go to the big guys so guys were guarding (Walton) one-on-one and he was not as effective."
At the same time, the Lakers are also relying less on Kobe Bryant's scoring. Bryant is averaging 24.2 points per game, nearly 11 off his regular-season pace, and actually took one fewer shot (18) than Walton did in the Lakers' 99-92 win in Game 3.
Bryant said after Game 3 that the triangle is becoming easier for the team, more fun and more efficient. As a result, Walton said, Bryant has been willing to pass the ball more often.
"People are finally getting the grasp of" the offense, Walton said. "Kobe has a lot more confidence in us so he's willing to make those extra passes now. Earlier in the year he was taking the shots instead of making the passes, because we weren't running the right cuts or we weren't making the shots.
"This series we're really becoming one unit and it's a lot of fun. Right now everything's good."
In Walton's world, it could hardly be any other way.