Whether you agree or disagree with his coaching methods, Byron Scott deserves credit for sticking to his guns.
The Los Angeles Lakers still are not ready to call it quits on their head coach, ESPN reported, days after he reverted to early season form by benching his young players in crunch time during a loss against the New York Knicks.
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"In Los Angeles, the Lakers haven't yet decided whether to bring Byron Scott back next season," ESPN reported. "Sources indicate they intend to meet with Scott once the season ends, before deciding whether to retain him. While general manager Mitch Kupchak may have been noticeably unenthusiastic when asked to assess Scott's performance last month, sources indicate that was simply Kupchak's way of avoiding the question and not adding fuel to the speculation about Scott's future. It was clumsy, but it wasn't intended to be the damning indictment some read it as."
The news comes on the heels of another teaching by Scott to grab his young player's attention that generated buzz.
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Scott was frustrated with the play of Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle against the Knicks during the Lakers' 90-87 loss.
"It's (ticking) me off," Scott said, according to the Orange County Register. "I don't know if I'm puzzled by it, but it just hurts me when you see that effort against a great team and then you see a lackadaisical effort against some of the teams we've played lately.
"Again, you look at these guys and say these guys are young, they're still learning, they're still immature as far as knowing what it takes to be successful in this league. You just hope it starts to click in at some point sooner or later and that they will start understanding that they have to bring that mentality every single night."
Los Angeles is on its way to producing a second consecutive franchise low for wins under Scott's watch. The Lakers need to win seven of their last 15 games to avoid setting a new mark in futility that was set with last season's 21-61 season.
The Lakers had a little more optimism about this season before it started. Kobe Bryant and Randle both were back from injuries, and Russell, the No. 2 pick in the draft, was supposed to give Clarkson more help in the backcourt.
The young players have fared better statistically, but the Lakers still are losing games at a franchise record pace.
Kupchak and vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss both know that the wrong decision on Scott could determine their fates with the Lakers as well.
"Then there's the question of how long Lakers president Jeanie Buss sticks with Kupchak and president of basketball operations Jim Buss," ESPN reported. "Both of them are on the clock."
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