The Los Angeles Lakers recently made their first move of the offseason by deciding to part ways with their head coach, Byron Scott.
Scott coached the Lakers in their two worst seasons in franchise history, and the Lakers’ front office decided that it was in the best interest for the Lakers to move in another direction.
One of the factors contributing to the belief that Scott was not a perfect fit for this position was his perceived lack of willingness to spend time developing young players. However, according to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, Lakers’ forward Larry Nance Jr. came to the defense of his former coach:
Larry Nance Jr. called criticism Scott received "not fair" regarding record & handling young players. Nance: "This was an impossible job"
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 25, 2016
Nance is one of the most humble young men in the NBA, so it isn’t too surprising that he would not publicly criticize anybody on his team or coaching staff. However, it is interesting that Nance Jr. came to Scott’s defense after an abysmal season. Nance Jr. also expressed his gratitude for Scott as his coach for his rookie season:
Just spoke with Larry Nance Jr., who said he was a "big fan" of Byron Scott & thanked him for the opportunities he received this year
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 25, 2016
Nance was one of the more surprising contributors this season as very few expected the Lakers to grab the forward with their late first round pick last summer. Nance was a favorite of Scott due to his defensive capabilities and high energy play.
Whoever the new coach ultimately is, he will inherit a solid young core that includes Nance, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and D’Angelo Russell. Nance may believe that some of the criticism Scott received was unwarranted but the Lakers will collectively move forward and focus on finding a new head coach to return the Lakers to greatness.
