Fyron SCOTT: Los Angeles Lakers Coach Byron Scott needs to go

Are the Los Angeles Lakers Preparing to Fail?  What is the current status and culture IN and OUT of the Locker Room and BEYOND?

     My "fanship" of the Los Angeles Lakers began about the same time that Dr. Jerry Buss happened to take majority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers.  I consider that Luck.

"3-2-1...Kareem with the sky hook at the buzzer" was a regular part of my basketball shooting rituals as a kid.

I witnessed the beginning and end of now Coach Byron Scott's NBA Playing Career.  His High School ball was played not too far from mine.

He was second, after Michael Jordan, in shooting guards for me.  

This is not to say that I thought he was the second-best shooting guard next to that MJ.  This is to say that it was Michael because it WAS all about Jordan and because I was a Lakers fan I did NOT look any further than Morningside High School's own Byron Scott.

I developed the same technical shooting form and same type of play.  Byron Scott was a tough, hard-nosed and fundamentally correct player that played with some of the Greatest Collection of Talent the Lakers and the NBA have EVER seen.

So, for THOSE reasons and many others, it has been very difficult to watch this team... this franchise be run lower and lower on the rungs of NBA success.  Especially when they are used to the Championship RINGS of success.

Players, Teams, Franchises have ALL leap-frogged past the Lakers not JUST in the "win" column but in NBA Prestige and Stature.  

Speaking of Wins:

Precedent has been set within the organization.  The Cleveland CAVS, on January 22, 2016, decided to move in a different direction when they fired David Blatt who was at the helm of the East's Very Best Team and Record.

"What I see is that we need to build a collective spirit, a strength of spirit, a collective will," Griffin said. "Elite teams always have that, and you see it everywhere. To be truly elite, we have to buy into a set of values and principles that we believe in. That becomes our identity."
_David Griffin, Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager  (your move, Mitch...)

Hiring and Firing should NOT necessarily be based solely on WINS and Losses.  The franchise (Lakers) AND fans KNEW things would be rough given the injuries, moves (trades) gone wrong and now moving forward with draft picks.

But.. Is the current culture of the Lakers too far mired in misery to the point of players gathering in some sort of bond that creates mutiny?

I don't really know.

Is Byron motivating his players beyond the seemingly hard-nosed approach of benching guys like Nick Young so his effort might increase?

Byron's tactics in some of those isolated incidents will probably prove successful.  The decision to bring both  Russell and Randle off-the-bench made big news when that happened; but this has forced both of these players to PLAY better ball as a result.  However, these players, along with players like Tarik Black, Metta World Peace and Nick Young seem to be unhappy and something tells ME it is not JUST about the Losing.

When a Coach has to explain to the Media why he is NOT playing a player like Tarik Black that should say something, right?

His explanation was that he told Tarik that he wanted him to be more like Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace and the reporters who sit in the locker room ACTUALLY Believe this garbage. 

( I already wrote and presented the statistical information on Tarik Black_ click HERE )

The stats show what Tarik does but ALL you really need to do is WATCH him play:

        This might sound silly but one thing that struck me as being curious is that ALL of the SPURS were wearing Shoes of their TEAM colors: SILVER/ BLACK / White

The Lakers had several players (seen in clip) that were wearing colors of the SPURS as well.  One thing is certain: Not ONE SPUR was wearing a gold or a purple and gold shoe and there is 

NO WAY Gregg Popovich would ever allow that to happen.  

Where is the discipline?  Where is the unity? 

 Where is the TEAM?

This gentleman (video) tells the story of Kareem, Wooden and how Coach John Wooden would have his team tie their shoes together.  You can  forward that clip to the 2:05 minute mark but I found that video useful to illustrate a few things.  

"John Wooden, the Coach of the Century (ESPN), first day of practice started with socks and SHOES."

This would make an impact on EVERY Bruin that played with him including Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Marques Johnson.

So, I don't care about their "RECORD" necessarily, I care how the TEAM is responding.  I care about their function and unity given the very best possible position to BE SUCCESSFUL.

And I CARE that this TEAM not coming out wearing all the same colors as their opponent and I care that more than ONE LAKER wore shoe colors of their opponent on game night.

SO...Back to the drawing board Lakers and..

+Los Angeles Lakers  (shouldn't Kobe have the shoe deal with his OWN TEAM?)

Start with the SHOES!




Then lose the manbuns, the head in hands and the lethargic play.


other notes from John Wooden ...


"Failing to prepare is preparing to FAIL." 
_John Wooden

Jordan Clarkson commented on how the Lakers can learn about ball movement by watching the Spurs.  Yes, JC... You can ALSO learn about TEAM, UNITY, Camaraderie, DISCIPLINE and Communication.