The Los Angeles Lakers are struggling right now despite the belief that the team could at least get itself back on the positive side of things and come up with a more credible performance compared to the last two seasons.
Unfortunately, such hasn't been the case and even though the season is still in the early stages, many have taken notice.
Kobe Bryant is back, although the Lakers star continues to find his old form. Then there are the young guys who are seen as the future of the franchise. Paired with some effective old hands from the free agent market, the Lakers are not among the favorites but nevertheless showed promise as they try to advance from their rebuilding phase.
Byron Scott has been tasked to architect such but from the past games, it looks like he has been veering away from the development and rebuilding philosophy and has been more inclined on winning. So does it follow that it is time to force the veterans to step up and think of the younger stalwarts next?
One player who many are eager to see is D'Angelo Russell. The rookie, who was the surprise pick of the Lakers, drew a lot of attention, someone believed to be one of the best guards in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Of course, the hype was spurred up all the more by the fact that the Lakers passed up on players like Jahlil Okafor or even Kristaps Porzingis in lieu of Russell. Hence, there could have been something the Lakers saw that others didn't.
Now, however, it seems that Scott has opted to sit Russell and go with the vets like Lou Williams. Scott believes that the rookies are still soft and winning is a must for him to keep his job.
It is understandable that Scott would push the panic button (a bit) but the development of the young players is still around. So how does he intend to go about it?
Scott is pressured to win games but also mold the younger guys like Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson. Unless he finds a solution to balance both, the future isn't looking too bright from the former Laker guard and supposedly defensive-minded coach.
