Lakers: Head Coach Byron Scott Still Just Doesn’t Get It

What words come to mind when you think of Lakers coach Byron Scott?

Some fans on social media call him old school, others label him a throwback. Some say he’s obstinate and hard-headed. Still others are less kind and call him clueless.

It’s hard to find many who are complimentary of the job he has done over the last two seasons. What is certain is that he has made some curious decisions, especially when it comes to deploying players on the Lakers roster.

In each of these seasons, it became painfully clear very early on that the Lakers were going to struggle. In fact, it is easy to see that this season, just like last year, they once again won’t even come close to making the playoffs, much less contend for a title.

Fans have to understand the reality of the situation and hope the future will be better. And a coach has to come to the same realization and start playing more for the future than the present.

So the rest of the season should logically look like this:

Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle should lead the team in minutes played. The three are all young and represent future hopes.
For every minute that Kobe Bryant is out of a game, Clarkson and Russell should be on the court together. Playing side-by-side without the need to pass the ball to Kobe on every possession will allow them to develop chemistry together. Then Lakers management can determine whether they are indeed the backcourt of the future, or whether one needs to be traded.
Tarik Black, who showed great promise with the team last year, should be playing back-up center rather than Robert Sacre, who is no better than a deep end-of-the-bench player, or Brandon Bass, who is actually a very respectable power forward and a player the Lakers might trade during this season.
Anthony Brown should be given an opportunity to play. In pre-season games he showed the potential to be a good ‘3 and D’ small forward, which is a position the team will need to fill next year following Bryant’s retirement. Now is the time to give him real NBA experience and see what he can do.
Larry Nance Jr. should continue to be given solid court time as a backup power forward. His energy and athleticism have already made him a fan favorite, and he should continue to improve.

Yes, all of the above are obvious steps for a team that should be focused on its future. But Byron Scott continues to defy logic.

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Last year, it wasn’t until the backcourt was decimated by injuries not just to Bryant, but to the likes of journeyman Ronnie Price before Scott finally inserted Clarkson into the lineup. And when he was finally given playing time, Jordan responded by becoming the best surprise of the Lakers season, making the first-team all NBA rookie team.

This year, to the exasperation of most fans, Scott has seemingly played mind games with Russell, who the Lakers selected with the second pick of the 2015 draft.

First, he refused to let him play meaningful fourth quarter minutes. Then, just as Russell was starting to show why the Lakers brass thought so highly of him, Scott moved him out of the starting lineup. To Russell’s credit, he has continued to play at a much higher level than he did when the season started.

In similar fashion, shortly after Randle had recorded a slew of consecutive double-doubles in points and rebounds, Scott moved the team’s first round pick from 2014 to a reserve role as well. Randle has had some difficulty adjusting to his new role, but he has enough flashes to excite Lakers fans and management.

In the big picture, it shouldn’t really matter whether a player starts or comes off the bench. What is important is how many minutes he plays. How Scott divides up those minutes leaves many fans scratching their heads and wondering what he’s doing.