Byron Scott is going to take heat for this. The embattled Lakers coach -- who is presiding over a 3-17 club -- is going to anchor two of the team’s most important building blocks to the bench for the foreseeable future. Scott claims he wants more “energy” on the floor, so D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle will be replaced by veteran guard Lou Williams and forward Larry Nance Jr.
Byron says he's hoping for more energy from starters...something had to change w/ 3-17 record. Lou Williams and Larry Nance will start.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) December 7, 2015
Byron says he'll keep Randle and Russell on the bench for next five to 10 games. Then he might make changes again.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) December 7, 2015
Lakers Dangling Nick Young In Front Of The Bulls
On its face the decision seems ridiculous. Why deny playing time to two players who are crucial to the Lakers’ future when the season is already in the toilet? The move has a sneaky intelligence to it, however, on two levels. First, Williams and Nance are not franchise cornerstones, so if they can impress the rest of the league, there may be a market for them later in the season if the Lakers want to move them for assets and/or salary relief. Williams in particular could have value to a contender as a scoring guard off the bench; he’s averaging 13 points per game in 26 minutes.
Second, the Lakers have almost no chance of being worse than the 76ers. They do have a great chance to be the second or third-worst team though, and continued development of Russell and Randle may lead to unexpected wins. Williams and Nance may be better short-term options, but it’s unlikely they will make the sort of impact that will translate to victories. By playing those two, they up their odds of gaining low to mid-level assets, and they remain one of the NBA’s bottom-feeders.
Kobe Might Want To Reconsider His All-Time Starting Five
If the Lakers wind up with LSU’s Ben Simmons in the 2016 Draft, Russell and Randle’s early-season benching will be forgotten.
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