Luke Walton Opens Up About Decision To Join Cavs

Walton also opened up about his views on the Cavs’ rebuilding process, going from lottery team to playoff contender:

“I think that when you draft the right players, and you bring in a guy here and there that complement each other well, and then you can grow that group together like that’s where you can really build something special. There’s only a couple of ways to win at the highest level in this league. You either go get the most elite players out there in trades and free agencies, or you build a young group together. That’s the path that the Cavs are on.”

He’s clearly followed the Cavs’ moves since LeBron James left in 2018.

Since then, the Cavs have done an excellent job bringing in All-Star caliber talent and being patient with players’ development.

Worried about the Cavs’ below-average offense last season?

Fear not, for Walton and the coaching staff are busy working on ways to beef up the scoring and shooting:

“[W]here we can make the biggest jump is on the offensive end. So really just brainstorming ways that we can continue to get better and execute. When you have young teams, young core like what we have here, a lot of it is the time together and understanding so you can keep building on the next level of what you’re running.”

Bench Matters

If the Cavs succeed, Walton will likely have no shortage of future coaching opportunities in the NBA.

In fact, the NBA is loaded with assistant coaching talent.

And several of those talents landed head coaching gigs this offseason.

The Lakers hired Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, the Sacramento Kings brought in Warriors assistant Mike Brown, and the Utah Jazz worked out a deal for Boston Celtics assistant Will Hardy.

And Kenny Atkinson, another Warriors assistant, turned down the Charlotte Hornets head coaching job, preferring a role on Steve Kerr’s bench.

In some cases, the assistant coaches play an even more significant role in game planning than the head coach.

In hiring Walton, it’s a sign that the Cavs are with the times, adding talented coaches under Bickerstaff, who had an excellent first season in charge.

For Walton, the decision to come to Cleveland “was an easy decision” for him.