James Worthy never seems to hold back when expressing his opinions about his former team. Although he’s nowhere near as extreme as Charles Barkley, Worthy’s passion is obvious when it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers.
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The Hall of Famer has fit in nicely with the Time Warner Cable SportsNet crew while covering the Lakers the last few years. Worthy will be even more invested in covering the purple and gold next season with his former teammate running the show from the sidelines.
Worthy recently talked about Byron Scott changing the culture in Los Angeles by implementing his defensive philosophy during his shoe release via TWC SportsNet:
“Better defense. All we talked about last year were points in the paint, transition points, and the lack of defense. Players really weren’t held accountable. They just looked for the offense and played that way, but Byron will implement defense. They’ll play hard every night. You’ll like what you’re watching.”
The new Lakers head coach played alongside Worthy for a decade in Los Angeles. The two have created a lasting bond with Worthy giving all his support to Scott in his return to the Lakers.
Scott has repeatedly said that he’ll be changing things up in Los Angeles with an emphasis on the defensive end of the basketball floor. As Worthy stated, players weren’t held “accountable” for poor defense. Scott intends to change that next season.
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Scott’s philosophy could be exactly what is needed if his players buy into what he’s selling. This defensive philosophy could potentially rub a few players on the squad the wrong way, but hopefully it will result in drastic changes and therefore a return to winning culture in Los Angeles.
[divide]Interview: Lakers Coach Byron Scott Talks Nick Young, Kobe, Defense