It's been a rough couple of seasons for Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott. After the Lakers' worst year in franchise history, they have somehow taken a step back. All signs point to the Philadelphia 76ers leapfrogging the Lakers in the standings soon, at which point the recent boos for Scott will get even louder. Plenty of Lakers fans would be happy if he was fired, and the remainder of the season will reportedly determine whether or not that will happen.
From the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan:
Will Scott be back? People close to the organization think this season's final 2½ months are a trial of sorts. It would help Scott's chances if the young players showed growth and the games were more competitive. There has to be hope, not despair.
Back in December, it was reported that Scott would last the rest of the season. That still seems likely, even though his treatment of No. 2 pick D'Angelo Russell remains as puzzling as ever. He has the worst record of any coach in Lakers history, and this season Los Angeles' offense is almost as bad as its league-worst defense. No sane person believed the people in the organization who talked about competing for a playoff spot, but most didn't think they'd only win nine of their first 50 games, either.
With 32 games left, Scott is facing an uphill battle in terms of rebuilding his reputation. Stephen Jackson calling him "the worst communicator for young guys" last month certainly didn't help matters. Ironically, it appears the people who could save Scott are the ones he's been criticizing all year: Russell and Julius Randle. The Lakers are focused on the future, and Scott's main challenge is to show he's the right guy to help them develop.
