It might have taken a bit longer than most anticipated, but the Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly fired embattled head coach Byron Scott following a disastrous 17-win 2015-16 campaign:
The Los Angeles Lakers have fired coach Byron Scott, league sources tell @TheVertical
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 25, 2016
Scott, 55, led the Lakers to two of their worst seasons in franchise history, winning a combined 38 games in two years as the team’s head coach.
Brought on to appease future Hall of Fame guard Kobe Bryant prior to the 2014-15 campaign, Scott never clicked with the rest of the talent-stricken roster during his tenure in Los Angeles. With Bryant now retired, there was no reason to keep the head coach around.
Though, the timing of the firing leaves a lot to be desired. By waiting until well over a week after the season ended, the Lakers missed out on the likes of Scott Brooks and Tom Thibodeau, who inked deals with the Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves respectively.
It will be interesting to see if the Lakers can bring in a big-name head coach. Unfortunately, the team’s lack of success over the past two seasons has a direct correlation with its inability to build a talented roster.
This makes Los Angeles a less-than-stellar potential destination for the most-qualified head coaches on the market.