Use your own verb.
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Despite being the NBA’s second most successful franchise with 16 championships to their name, the Lakers are facing a sustained period of rebuilding after a dismal 17-65 campaign in the recently completed 2015-16 regular season. That was about as much of a surprise as his firing. We’d like to get it done. That will be a Final Jeopardy question someday.
The report noted, though, that it was a “recognition” that was “impossible to evaluate” as Scott had handled perhaps one of the poorest rosters also in franchise history during his two-season tenure. Scott was not doing what needed to be done, so, as Reuters reported, he was sacked.
The Lakers have not decided, though the sentiment around the league casts Walton as a favored candidate.
The problem is that Bryant’s interminable goodbye set back the development process, maybe by a year. The New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings are among the other teams in the market for a head coach (although Phil Jackson and the Knicks may stick with Kurt Rambis). But, a lot of it may have to do with what coach can attract free agents. The one thing that can’t be bought, from their standpoint, is winning. Five years and $50 million?
He is not among the names of the candidates that the Los Angeles Lakers rumored to be interested in, but he is the type of coach who makes sense in Tinseltown. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Jeff Hornacek is also expected to be on the Lakers’ list. For the first time in exactly 20 years, they can remodel the team with an entirely different culture. “Byron makes sure the players are where they need to be”.
In the National Basketball Association, teams market the players. He is probably too smart to be swayed by Laker mystique alone.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott, who was reportedly fired on Sunday night, talks with D’Angelo Russell #1 during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on January 29, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Those possibilities included Tom Thibodeau (Minnesota) and Scott Brooks (Washington). He reached the Conference Finals last season with the Houston Rockets but was sacked early this season.
The Lakers may have to look at the draft, and while there are a number of point guards that rank higher, there are some genetics in the draft that might be hard to overlook.
Ollie and Kevin Durant are said to have close ties.
When Kupchak made those comments earlier this month, Scott was still the head coach since the front office had yet to make a decision regarding his future. But make so mistake, he was losing because he was doing exactly what he was supposed to do. Only concern here is how Blatt would be able to deal with the Los Angeles media and sometimes insane expectations. Scott clearly wasn’t going to be a difference maker for the young team in Los Angeles. His mere presence in the building would be a plus. Why would Luke Walton leave a great situation in Golden State for an uncertain one with the Los Angeles Lakers?
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They could become a former National Basketball Association coach (Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Jeff Hornacek, Monty Williams), a rising National Basketball Association assistant (Golden State’s Luke Walton, San Antonio’s Ettore Messina) or an accomplished college coach (Connecticut’s Kevin Ollie, Kentucky’s John Calipari, Villanova’s Jay Wright). Until then he wasn’t mentioned in the line of succession, and it’s true that he was given the keys to the slickest Porsche on the showroom floor, . “Pat Riley wasn”t easy on us.
