Following the resignation of Mike D’Antoni, the Los Angeles Lakers were forced to find a new head coach to help rebuild the franchise in the twilight of the Kobe Bryant era.
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Fortunately, the team was able to hire a familiar face in the form of three-time NBA champion and former Coach of the Year, Byron Scott.
According to Sportsbook.com, Scott’s odds to win his second Coach of the Year award aren’t that favorable at 125/1. Scott is near the bottom of the list of candidates for the regular season award along with David Joerger (125/1), Brad Stevens (200/1), and Flip Saunders (200/1).
Brett Brown, Jacque Vaughn, Michael Malone, Mike Budenholzer and Quin Synder round out the candidates for Coach of the Year with 250/1 odds.
Gregg Popovich (11/4) of the San Antonio Spurs leads the way as the favorite to be next season’s Coach of the Year followed by newcomer David Blatt (5/1) and Tom Thibodeau (13/2).
Although the odds are against Scott heading into his first season with the team, the former member of the Showtime Lakers is confident this franchise won’t stay down for long. Scott’s close relationship with Kobe and emphasis on the defensive end of the floor will set him apart from his predecessors Mike Brown and D’Antoni, but it remains to be seen if that’ll be enough for the Lakers to bounce back next season or in the near future.
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