At long last, the Lakers have a new head coach for the 2014-2015 season.
Here’s the link to the announcement:
The organization demonstrated a tremendous amount of patience before making their decision this time out.
And Byron Scott is the right choice.
Unlike Mike D’Antoni and Mike Brown, perceived as being mediocre “guns for hire” after journeying throughout the league with minor success, Scott is a home grown Laker. He is purple and gold through and through, and a recognizable figure for fans, as both a player during the Magic Johnson championship runs of the 80’s, and most recently as a Lakers broadcaster for Time Warner Cable Sports Net.
Scott has had varying degrees of success as a head coach, and while he has not won a championship in this position, he did lead his team to the NBA Finals twice. His big mistake was accepting a coaching position for Cleveland just two weeks before LeBron James made his decision to leave for Miami, leaving Scott at the helm of a decimated franchise and city. He has flown under the radar since then, and is perfectly primed for a new coaching run with the Lakers.
With Scott, there is a toughness and a tenacity about him. His style seems inspired by Pat Riley, his coach and mentor while he was a player. Riley was a tough coach who demanded hard work, effort, and perfection of his players. Scott’s demeanor seems similar.
This is a good thing for the Lakers, who need a strong presence to rally behind, especially after the lackadaisical styles of both Brown and D’Antoni.
Scott has the endorsement of Kobe Bryant, which cannot be underestimated. Both have similar work ethics and are driven by success. Scott will be in Bryant’s corner. Both will demand performance of the other players.
Lastly, Scott is going to have a chip on his shoulder and a motivation to succeed. His hire rounds out a newly built team with a few familiar faces, most of whom are going to have something to prove.
I’m telling you right now, this is not a bad team the Lakers have assembled.