Is Byron Scott the Right Coach, Right Now?

We are just several games into the preseason.  Two themes that have resonated from Byron Scott since he was hired, are defense and running.  Laker fans love those themes, because it resonates with championship winning basketball, especially from the 1980’s.

It only makes sense that Coach Scott would stick to those themes.

The current Laker roster is a roster in transition.  The only old school guys are Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash.  Sad as it may seem, they are not likely to be part of the Laker franchise within three years.

Consistent effort on the defensive end has lacked, even when the team seems well conditioned.  This is supposed to be a theme of Byron Scott.  It was the theme of Mike Brown.

Hindsight is 20/20 and the Lakers are fortunate to acquire Jeremy Lin through trade. Yes, the Lakers absorbed his contract.  They also acquired a first-round pick in the process.  Jeremy Lin’s best strength on the offensive end is the pick-and-roll.  Not only does he execute well, but it’s instinctive to him.  He thrives emotionally on team success and that emotional wave was a huge part of Linsanity when he played for the New York Knicks.

Who was his coach back then?  Mike D’Antoni.

The current team thrives on mid-range play and post play. Kobe Bryant is doing all of the work within those areas.  We don’t see Carlos Boozer or Julius Randle enough in the post to create in isolation or draw in the defense.  They are the finishers, not the playmakers.

The Laker offense has been tough to watch overall.

Yes, it is very early to criticize Coach Byron Scott.  Hopefully, into the season, the team truly grasps the idea of making intense effort on defense on every play down the floor. The Chicago Bulls have done that for years under Tom Thibodeau, and even Pau Gasol looks successful on the defensive end early into the preseason.  No wonder why the Lakers asked to approach him last spring.

If that is the style of play that Coach Scott is trying to mirror, it becomes a lot easier to be patient for the team.  Some of us just want to see an inkling of what the results look like.

It can be said that as injury-depleted as the Laker team was last year, Mike D’Antoni overachieved.  He did it with perimeter shooting and had a handful of games where the team rode a wave of emotion on offense.

Perhaps the new NBA is just too offensively oriented.

What do you think?  Would it be better of Jeremy Lin played under Mike D’Antoni where he was most successful?  Are you willing to wait before the offense starts clicking? How do you feel about the team defensively?  Do you see improvements?

Please leave comments below.