The coaching search continues for the Los Angeles Lakers as the storied franchise tries to find the right man for one of the toughest jobs in the NBA. Fans of the team have been anxious and the rumors have started to run rampant about the search, but the Lakers brass is taking their time to make the right decision moving forward.
Although it may be quite some time before a new head coach is hired, one name that continues to get mentioned as a potential strong candidate for the job is Byron Scott.
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In an appearance on ESPN’s Mike and Mike, Chris Broussard says Kobe Bryant and Scott has been talking over the past few weeks leading to more speculation about his potential hiring by the team:
“Very close with Kobe Bryant. I know that those two have been in contact in the past few weeks and actually have talked about, you know, Kobe has talked to Byron Scott about some coaching type stuff.
“So, [Scott] certainly has an in with Kobe, but right now a lot of what you see is premature because the Lakers are nowhere near making a decision. I’m not even sure, I don’t even think, they’ve even contacted coaches they want to interview. They’re really taking their time with this. There’s no need to rush. They want to see how they do in the draft lottery. So I think right now you’re just seeing a lot of names thrown out there.”
With the upcoming NBA draft lottery a big piece of the puzzle for the Lakers, a final decision on a new head coach may not be made until after the team’s draft position is determined on May 20 or possibly even after the 2014 NBA draft on June 26.
Needless to say, it may be awhile until the team has a new head coach in place for next season. Scott will almost certainly be one of the top candidates considered, but anything can happen over the next few months with other candidates potentially emerging as options for the Lakers.
One of the perks of possibly bringing in Scott strong ties to star point guard Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hiring Scott may be key to acquiring Irving in the near future.
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