The Los Angeles Lakers don't act like a franchise that puts a lot of stock into coaching.
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ESPN reported Monday that the Lakers expect to hire a head coach within a week or two to replace Mike D'Antoni. A source told ESPN that the Lakers' interview process for a new coach is not over.
Former Laker and frontrunner for the job Byron Scott has interviewed twice with ownership and management about the vacancy, but ESPN suggested that Scott might have to interview again.
It was assumed that once LeBron James made his decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the free-agent process would shake out and Scott would be named shortly after Carmelo Antony jilted the Lakers to remain with the New York Knicks.
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That has not yet happened.
Of course, this was a franchise that thought a couple years ago that Mike D'Antoni could be as effective as Phil Jackson in leading the team. So it should come as no surprise that the head coach still is down on the list of priorities.
Apparently, Kobe Bryant's blessing of Scott means nothing to the front office as well.
Scott, however, says he doesn't have any problems with the lengthy process of the Lakers' search.
"It's still open," Scott said when asked about the coaching position during a call-in segment with the Lakers' television partner, Time Warner Cable SportsNet, on Friday. "I know, in my dealings in talking with Mitch and Jim [Buss, vice president of player personnel], they want to get the roster together and then focus on the coaching. So, myself, or whoever else are the other candidates, that's what we're all waiting for and we're kind of looking at what's going on [in free agency] to see if that's all done and then see next week what they're going to do with the coaching vacancy.
"So, it's just one of those things that's a wait-and-see game right now, but like I said, I like the moves that they made today. I think it's going to help the team and strengthen the team, and obviously it still puts them in a good, flexible position for next year."
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