Emotions were high following the win with rookie Brandon Ingram even going so far as to say that the win shows the Lakers can be contenders this year. Walton, however, refuses to get too high after the win, and is trying to keep things level.
According to Tania Ganguli of the LA Times, Walton put the Lakers through a long practice as he is worried about the team coming out flat against Phoenix on Sunday night:
The Lakers had a long practice today as they turned the page to Phoenix. Luke Walton admits he thinks they might come out flat tomorrow.
Walton’s worries about his young team are completely understandable. It’s arguable that the Lakers benefitted on Friday night from the exact thing Walton is concerned about going into Sunday. The Warriors came out completely flat against the Lakers and some believe the team’s emotional victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder the night before played a role.
For a young team, keeping emotions in check can be difficult and Walton knows that. Young teams tend to play to the level of competition and don’t always handle success well, often playing terribly against lesser competition after big wins against better teams.
Might put some free play money on the Suns ML today.
According to Tania Ganguli of the LA Times, Walton put the Lakers through a long practice as he is worried about the team coming out flat against Phoenix on Sunday night:
The Lakers had a long practice today as they turned the page to Phoenix. Luke Walton admits he thinks they might come out flat tomorrow.
Walton’s worries about his young team are completely understandable. It’s arguable that the Lakers benefitted on Friday night from the exact thing Walton is concerned about going into Sunday. The Warriors came out completely flat against the Lakers and some believe the team’s emotional victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder the night before played a role.
For a young team, keeping emotions in check can be difficult and Walton knows that. Young teams tend to play to the level of competition and don’t always handle success well, often playing terribly against lesser competition after big wins against better teams.
Might put some free play money on the Suns ML today.