Byron Scott and The Modern NBA
Lakers head coach Byron Scott had a rocky first season at the helm, with his antiquated comments on three pointers and analytics, Riley-esque training camp, and poor management of Kobe’s minutes giving the impression that he is stuck in the past. The 2015-2016 season will give Scott the opportunity to prove that he can and will adapt to the new realities of the modern NBA.
Fortunately, we saw signs during preseason that he is willing to do just that. The franchise has revamped their analytics department, and become increasingly transparent in order to mitigate the fears of a skeptical fan base. Scott has gotten on board with his push, and promised that analytics will be used more this season.
He has also come around a bit in regards to shooting threes, and even trotted out a small-ball lineups during preseason that featured the 6’8″ Brandon Bass at center. Byron also committed to using floor-spacing Ryan Kelly at power forward this year after a disastrous attempt to make him a small forward last season.
While no one expects Scott to morph into a completely modern coach over night, his efforts to keep one foot in the past and the other in the present will be something to keep an eye on this season.
CONTINUE: Five Reasons Why Lakers Fans Should Feel Good About 2015-2016