NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Sack Byron Scott? Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson's Coach Luke Walton On Kobe Bryant's Radar

By Mitch de Leon

The Los Angeles Lakers currently find themselves in the Golden State Warriors led Western Conference. With a relatively young core, the Kobe Bryant squad has been expected to struggle in finding their footing the NBA season. Understandably, the skills of young stars D'Angelo Russell, Larry Nance, Jr, Julius Randle and Roy Hibbert have yet to be sufficiently honed. However, some fans are pointing out another primary concern in the Los Angeles Lakers that should be remedied as soon as possible.

The current NBA season saw Bryant struggle with his minutes on the hardwood court. Throughout the ordeal, however, head coach Byron Scott opted to keep the Black Mamba in the starting lineup whenever possible. This decision, albeit rooted from the respect to Bryant, has been repeatedly criticized by the NBA community. Apart from his moves concerning the veteran basketball star, Scott also received flak for the way he is handling the youngsters in the roster.

"D'Angelo Russelland [Julius] Randle, do not pay attention to Byron Scott," advised Stephen Jackson, according to NBC Sports. The 37-year-old former San Antonio Spurs star added, "I made the Rookie All-Star Game at the end of the break, and after the break, he did not play me no more. He is the worst communicator for young guys. I would not advise a young player to even listen to Byron Scott, because he is the worst coach at communicating with young guys, and I'm living proof."

Jackson is a retired NBA player who won the championship with the Tim Duncan squad in 2003. He also played with the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, and Los Angeles Clippers. In 2006, Jackson had been reportedly involved in several misdemeanor charges such as assault, battery, and disorderly conduct.

Meanwhile, the recent performances of the Los Angeles Lakers and the quality of the up and coming stars have prompted rumors on Scott's possible exit from the team. Reports have surfaced that the interim coach for the Stephen Curry squad is eyed by the Metta World Peace group. While no official confirmation that Luke Walton has even been offered a coaching gig in the Nick Young team, the comments of Bryant regarding the Klay Thompson group's interim head coach fueled the speculations.

"I used to tease him when he was playing here about he's destined to be a much better coach than a player," shared Bryant of Walton, according to the San Jose Mercury News. The Black Mamba added, "I used to rib him all the time. He didn't want to hear it because he didn't have the coaching bug yet, but I could see it in him. It was there. It was just a matter of time."

Bryant further noted, "He's [Walton] extremely smart. He always saw the game in combinations and sequences. I kind of just chuckle a little bit at it, because I see he's thinking in threes. Most coaches think in combinations of twos, but he's thinking in threes. This pass leads to that pass is going to lead to that one. And I remember sitting in the locker room and going over this stuff with him."

Although Walton's exit from the Draymond Green squad has yet to be officially discussed, transferring to the Los Angeles Lakers staff might be more challenging than expected. Earlier reports revealed that Mitch Kupchak remains firmly behind Scott. In fact, the Los Angeles Lakers general manager even praised the controversial head coach's strategies in handling the young stars.

"If you asked our young players, I think there would be a mutual respect, as you might expect maybe between a parent and a child," said Kupchak of Scott, according to the Los Angeles Times. He added, "In other words, I'm going to love you, I'm going to bring you along, but every now and then, I've got to teach you the right way to do things."

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