The Los Angeles Lakers are officially hitting the reset button. Kobe Bryant is riding off into the sunset, Luke Walton is taking over as head coach, and L.A. is expected to land a top three pick in this year's NBA draft. It's a time for justified optimism following three consecutive losing seasons.
Though Walton has yet to be introduced as the team's new head coach, his presence is already firing up members of L.A.'s young and talented core.
"I'm excited about it," Julius Randle said recently. "It's a fresh start for us all. I think Luke is going to be great for us."
"I'm really excited about him being the new head coach and really seeing how things are put together," Jordan Clarkson said. "I want to be in L.A. and a part of this whole process. I think it's an exciting time for Laker Nation."
Randle and Clarkson have each touched base with Walton about next season and his expectations for the team. They've also discussed their fit in L.A.'s new up-tempo system, which will aim to reflect the Golden State Warriors.
"It went great," Randle said of the discussion. "Just talked about things heading into next year. He told me what he thought about me, and the things we can get better at. We just talked about the process.
"I think it's perfect for us. We have guys who can play multiple positions and move well, so I think it'll be great for us."
Clarkson echoed those thoughts, saying: "It went really well. He told me about his style of play, and how he really wants the young core to really bond together. Mostly it was about how he wants to play and how he sees us, along with the future of the franchise.
"It's definitely good to have the head man believing in you. We're definitely going to go out there and compete for him and play hard."
Walton, who has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Warriors, has been questioned due to his lack of coaching experience. But Randle views Walton's youth as a positive and vehicle to bond with the team more quickly than former head coach Byron Scott was able to.
"He had a valuable experience at Golden State," Randle said. "Obviously him being so young, he's going to be easy to relate to. He's going to demand a lot out of us, and it's not going to be an easy process, but we're all looking forward to the challenge."
Follow Brandon Katz at @Grat_Katzby
