Lakers Rumors: Belief in Luke Walton 'Remains Strong' Despite Struggles

The Los Angeles Lakers have gone just 4-7 without the injured LeBron James, but head coach Luke Walton apparently isn't in danger of losing his job.

"As one Lakers insider put it, the Lakers hired Walton because they believed in his potential in the same way they believed in their lottery picks," Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported Wednesday. "While it was a different regime that hired him, the belief in his potential remains strong."

The Lakers are 24-21 on the season, good enough to tie for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.

Walton has taken plenty of heat from fans who are expecting better from a team that features highly touted young players like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma. However, there are few indications the front office will take any action.

Walton certainly doesn't sound concerned about his future with the organization. 

"It's the best job in the world, and I love the challenge that we have," Walton told Shelburne. "It's challenging, it's hard, it's sleepless nights. But it's also awesome."

Even after the 4-6 start to the season, team president Magic Johnson said Walton most likely wouldn't be fired.

"He is going to finish the season, unless something drastic happens, which it won't," Johnson said in November, per Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times.

Even if Johnson did want to make a move, ownership likely would overrule him.

"It is also an open secret in Lakerland that Walton has the strongest possible backing from the owner Jeanie Buss," Marc Stein of the New York Times reported Tuesday. "Even if the front office tandem of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka held Walton responsible for the Lakers' swoon and wanted to make an in-season change, Buss almost certainly would prevent such rashness."

Even with the support, Walton will likely have to find a way to end this recent slide.

James is expected to be out at least two more games before being re-evaluated on his strained groin, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.

The pressure on the coach could begin to rise if he can't turn things around and get the Lakers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013.