Moore: 10 head-coaching candidates who would make sense for Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have fired head coach Byron Scott, the team announced on Sunday. Scott coached the Lakers for the past two seasons, going 38-126 as the team was in the midst of a rebuild and a farewell tour for superstar Kobe Bryant. He had team options on the third and fourth years of his contract.
"We would like to thank Byron for his hard work, dedication and loyalty over the last two years, but have decided it is in the best interest of the organization to make a change at this time," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement.
Scott took criticism not just for his record with the Lakers, but for his treatment of young players, most notably D'Angelo Russell. Scott sees himself as an "old-school" coach, and in his first season in Los Angeles, he downplayed the significance of 3-pointers. The move is not altogether surprising, though the timing of it is.
Here are five things to know:
1. This was the right move: The No. 1 priority for the Lakers needs to be the development of Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and whomever they draft in June (assuming that they keep their pick and do not send it to the Philadelphia 76ers -- it goes to the Sixers if it falls outside the top three). It was clear that Scott was not good at communicating with the players who will determine Los Angeles' future, and it's not as if he was alienating them while winning.
For all of Scott's quotes about toughness and defense, his teams have not reflected his personality. In that respect, his stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2010 to 2013 was not much better than this one.
Defensive ranking of Byron Scott's last 5 teams: 29th, 26th, 27th, 29th & 30th.
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) April 25, 2016
Just missing a 28th for the bottom-5 cycle.
Under Scott, the Lakers didn't have much of an identity. With Bryant gone, they at least should have a clear purpose. It makes sense to make a change now and find the person who is going to build something new.
2. This timing could have been a little better: Los Angeles elected to make this move after other teams already hired big-name coaches. The Washington Wizards replaced Randy Wittman with Scott Brooks and the Minnesota Timberwolves replaced Sam Mitchell with Tom Thibodeau. It is unclear whom the Lakers are eyeing to take over for Scott, but Thibodeau was the best coach on the market and reportedly wanted the challenge.
Los Angeles is not the only team without a head coach -- the New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings are in the midst of coaching searches, and the Houston Rockets are expected to begin one as soon as they're eliminated from the playoffs. It is a bit curious, though, that the Lakers waited until 11 days after the end of the regular season to make this move. You would think that they knew all they needed to know about Scott weeks or even months ago.
3. It is unclear what this means for the front office: The Orange County Register's Bill Oram reported that the decision was made by Kupchak and vice president Jim Buss. Back in April 2014, Buss famously guaranteed he would step down in "three to four years" if the Lakers were not contenders. Without hitting a home run in free agency, it is hard to imagine Los Angeles competing for championships anytime soon. What the organization needs is a plan and some patience.
It should be noted that Thibodeau became president of the Wolves, not merely the coach. In today's NBA, few things are more important than having the coach and the front office on the same page. What will the Lakers do if one of their targets wants to have final say in personnel decisions? What will they say if there are questions about Kupchak and Buss' future?
4. This is an attractive job: Los Angeles has been a complete joke for the past few seasons, but it has quietly assembled a nice collection of young talent. The Lakers also have cap space, and NBA players will always see this team as a destination. A confident coach will see opportunity here, not merely a 17-win team.
According to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles could look at Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton, ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina and UConn coach Kevin Ollie. Those names are all intriguing, though Van Gundy and Messina stand out as the most seasoned of the bunch. They should be drawn to the prestige of the franchise, but they could hesitate if they think the front office will try to skip steps.
