Is Byron Scott The Right Coach?
outside the Nokia Theater as he arrives for the memorial service for Dr. Jerry Buss who passed away Feb 18, 2013. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports” width=”300″ height=”453″ /> Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Byron Scott has been getting a lot of attention in recent days, and of course, it’s being catalyzed by the swirling rumors involving the Lakers search for their next head coach.
Is Byron Scott going to be the next head coach of the Lakers?
At this point, no one really knows. The Lakers’ head coaching position is so up in the air it’s hard to even figure out a frontrunner for the job. However, Scott sure has been trying to sell himself to both the Lakers and the their fans. I cant say whether or not Scott will end up with the job, but with him generating a lot of attention, I thought it would be prudent to take a quick look at what he’s accomplished as a head coach in the NBA.
Scott has coached a total of 937 games in the NBA and has a 416-521 overall record, a .444 winning percentage, two Eastern Conference titles, and a coach of the year award to show for it. Two of his best seasons came from the 01-02 and 02-03 seasons, when he was the head coach of the then New Jersey Nets. Lead by the current Nets head coach, Jason Kidd, the Nets had a combined record of 101-63 and made it to back-to-back NBA Finals.
Those Nets teams may not have won a championship, but losing to the Lakers in ’02, and then the San Antonio Spurs in ’03 is nothing to be ashamed about. After his tenure with the Nets, Scott went on to have a few years of success with the New Orleans Hornets, where he coached his way to a 105-59 record during the 07-08 and 08-09 seasons.
Along with his coaching accomplishments, Scott’s time as a member of the Showtime Lakers only helps to boost his résumé; due to the fact he helped win three titles while wearing the purple and gold for eleven seasons where he played a total of 846 games and scored 12,780 points.
In addition to his player credentials, Scott has also claimed to have a great relationship with Lakers star Kobe Bryant, which would be a big help if he were to land the job.
Scott certainly has the experience and persona to thrive in LA’s harsh environment, but is this enough to move him from covering the Lakers on Time Warner Sports Net to coaching them on the sidelines?
Again, at this point, no one really knows. The Lakers have already proven that they wont hire someone just because Kobe said so, and despite his coaching accomplishments, Scott doesn’t own a winning record as a head coach, and hasn’t had a winning season in five years. However, to be fair, he did spend three seasons with an atrocious Cleveland Cavaliers team that was (and still is) trying to figure out how to move on in this world without LeBron James.
I do think Scott deserves another head coaching job in the NBA, but he certainly isn’t the most accomplished candidate that is rumored to be involved. Obviously, Scott’s former teammate Kurt Rambis is another candidate with similar experience. Name, after name, after name is thrown in connection with the Lakers coaching gig daily, but no real answers seem to have been found. At least we do know the team is being thorough.
Will we see Scott standing on the court as the Lakers head coach this year?
I guess we’ll have to wait and see.