Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell may not want to hold their breath hoping their playing situations improve with Lakers coach Byron Scott.
That's the opinion of former NBA journeyman Stephen Jackson, who played for Scott as a rookie when the two were with the then-New Jersey Nets, according to Pro Basketball Talk.
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When asked about his thoughts on Scott's comments that Randle needed to grow up after showing frustration from being pulled in the fourth quarter of a recent game, Jackson did not shy away.
"You know what? I'm glad you brought that up," Jackson said to 120 Sports. "D'Angelo Russell and Randle, do not pay attention to Byron Scott. I made the Rookie All-Star Game at the end of the break, and after the break, he did not play me no more. He is the worst communicator for young guys. I would not advise a young player to even listen to Byron Scott, because he is the worst coach at communicating with young guys, and I'm living proof."
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Pro Basketball Talk displayed a chart showing Jackson's minutes steady decline as he went from starter to bench player after the All-Star break during his rookie season of 2000-01.
Twenty games into the Lakers' season, both Russell and Randle were dispatched to the bench. On the surface, the move appears to be effective; Los Angeles was 3-17 with Russell and Randle starting and is 5-11 since bringing their young guns off the bench.
Scott and the team could be risking alienating the last two Lakers' first-round draft picks, especially with the revelation by general manager Mitch Kupchak that the 2015-16 season was dedicated to honoring Kobe Bryant, even at the expense of developing the team's young players.
It seems that both Russell and Randle have had a difficult time understanding Scott's thought process, and that could be problematic. If he's not communicating with them to let them know where they stand, that's on Scott to fix.
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