Their minutes — and spots in the starting rotation — get jerked around, and usually the young players are left in the dark as to why. The Lakers are an 8-31 team often leaning on veterans late in games as if racking up more wins is the priority. This has led to tension between the coach and the players he is supposed to be grooming to be the next generation.
Lakers’ coach Byron Scott has gone with some tough-love tactics — or just old and outdated if you’re not a fan — in trying to develop Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr. Scott as told Randle to stop pouting when he’s taken out of games (I thought you’d that a player doesn’t want to be taken out). It’s led to a lot of criticism of Scott and how the Lakers are going about building their future.
But not from the one man who matters, Lakers’ GM Mitch Kupchak. Here is what Kupchak told Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
“If you asked our young players, I think there would be a mutual respect, as you might expect maybe between a parent and a child,” Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak told The Times on Sunday before the Lakers lost a slow-speed chase to the Utah Jazz, 86-74.
“In other words, I’m going to love you, I’m going to bring you along, but every now and then, I’ve got to teach you the right way to do things….
“Every coach chooses to bring along young players differently,” Kupchak said. “Some coaches will not play rookies at all. Some will give them more leeway than others. They’re young players and they’re playing big minutes.”
The Lakers are expected to keep Scott as coach through the end of the season, then as Kobe Bryant walks away and turns the page the Lakers likely will do the same with Scott. A new coach will be asked to usher in the next era of Lakers basketball (whatever it may look like). With that in mind, you can’t expect the ultimate company man in Kupchak to undermine a coach that will be around for another four months. At least.
I’ve been quick to criticize Scott for how he’s handled the young Lakers this season, but on the court things are improving.
Scott has trusted the youth in the fourth quarter recently — he let the young Lakers learn on the job in comebacks against Oklahoma City and from 27 down against Sacramento (both rallies ultimately fell short). Playing them at the ends of games is a start. The Lakers need more of this kind of thing, both from Scott and whoever replaces him next summer.
But for now, Scott is the man in Los Angeles, and his GM has his back.
