The worst: Byron Scott
It seems so long ago now, but Byron Scott was indeed the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers for the first half of 2016. I know this is a touchy subject for some of you, so I will make this as short and sweet as possible.
Once a fan favorite of the Lakers’ “Showtime” era, Scott burned bridges with fans during his tenure as head coach with the Lake Show. To be fair, Scott was doomed from the start. He was asked to win games with a half decent Kobe Bryant, a couple of kids and Roy Hibbert. Not even Robert Sacre could save the team.
So why the lack of sympathy from the fans? Because he made a bad situation worse. He prioritized winning games with a roster built to lose instead of developing the team’s young talent. Can you think of a good reason to start Lou Williams over the No. 2 pick in the draft? Me neither.
Surely this was a learning experience for Scott, right? Not exactly. He had this to say to the Los Angeles Daily News after being let go from the team:
"“If I knew this was coming, I would have played Lou [Williams], Brandon [Bass] and guys like that a whole lot more,” Scott said, referring to his veterans in an interview with this newspaper. “They gave me the best chance to win.”"
At the end of it all, we hope B. Scott is happy; sitting on the beach with his arms crossed in a grey turtleneck and blazer. Thanks for the memories.
The best: Luke Walton
Luke Theodore Walton signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers late this past summer after LA’s front office decided to part ways with old-school coach Byron Scott. While Walton’s experience as a coach was limited to his few months as the Warriors’ interim head coach, the organization saw Walton as a perfect fit to lead the Lakers’ young core to the promise land.
With more than a quarter of the season in the rearview, it looks like the front office got the right guy. Not only are the guys buying into Walton’s system, but they’re buying into Walton himself.
“He wants to run through a wall for us, too,” Julius Randle said after a practice at the start of the season. “He has our back. And when you have someone who truly cares about you, it’s a different feeling. It’s an open and honest relationship. I can text him, call him, talk to him after practice or whatever. It’s just an open relationship. He’s genuine. You can go up to somebody and know if they truly care about you or not.”
You’d be hard pressed to find someone that could say the same about Scott last season, except for maybe Kobe Bryant. Walton has proven that caring for your players works, as demonstrated by the team’s hot start. If he can get the team back on track and into the playoffs, he should get some serious consideration for Coach of the Year.