The Los Angeles Lakers are winding down their second consecutive losing season, breaking the franchise record for losses for the second straight year. Despite the losses, head coach Byron Scott has tried to instill a new attitude and culture within the franchise.
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While some players have stood out, others have struggled this season and according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Scott has a sense of the players who he would and wouldn’t want in the trenches with him:
I got a sense of a whole lot of people I wouldn’t want to be in a foxhole with,” Scott said, laughing. “I think they’d end up shooting me in the back. I have a pretty good sense of the guys who will be around that we can build around and build together this process and go through it. I think we’ll be fine.”
Scott didn’t name specific names on either end, but some of the players worth building around is obvious. Kobe Bryant will obviously be back next season, and Scott has praised Jordan Clarkson throughout the season for his growth. The franchise also remains optimistic about Julius Randle and the work he has put in despite being injured in the season opener.
Players who Scott doesn’t believe would be in a ‘foxhole’ with him would seem unlikely to be with the Lakers for much longer after this season. Scott has been pretty critical of Nick Young and Jeremy Lin throughout the season with Young even saying that he feels unfairly criticized at times. He has also questioned the toughness and effort of some of the Lakers bigs. This summer will see major turnover for the Lakers and the players left at the end will be ones Scott trusts to give their all on the court every night.
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