Letters: Coaching the Lakers is a lose-lose situation
Lakers Coach Byron Scott instructs his players on how to approch the last minute, while down by 10 points to the Jazz during a game at Staples Center on Jan. 10.
Have you heard a word from the peanut gallery regarding how bad Byron Scott’s coaching has been? Not a peep! Magic Johnson wouldn’t shut up when Mike Brown and Mike D’Antoni were here. And those two took the Lakers to the playoffs. All Byron has done is coach the team to historic lows. This had to be a part of the plan. No other coach would get on board.
Other coaches would want to win. Scott has zero intention. Why do you think it took months to hire him? The Lakers had to lay the groundwork to keep their draft picks and keep their fans. Any other coach would’ve been fired in a New York minute, but Scott is still standing.
Geno Apicella
Placentia
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It’s hard not to feel kind of sad for Byron Scott’s predicament. Between trying to balance Kobe Bryant’s ongoing farewell tour alongside the development of the Lakers’ younger players, Scott’s job security has almost become irrelevant. I’m sure he wants to give Kobe his proper due because of their long-standing friendship. Unfortunately, the team’s record is abysmal and Scott will be held accountable. It isn’t entirely fair, but that’s life.
Charles Reilly
Manhattan Beach
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Wait, the Lakers are thinking of keeping Byron Scott for one more year? There are only three reasons I can come up with that make sense:
—They want another lottery pick in 2016-2017 season.
—Scott has some pictures of key Lakers officials.
—No other coaches are interested in coaching the Lakers
Let’s end this charade and get a real coach, with no ties to Lakers lore. Follow Boston’s strategy and hire a great college coach to work with our rookies.
Mark Mozilo
Pasadena
Help for Clippers
Every off-season, Doc Rivers makes moves to shore up the weak bench (often with a bias for has-beens who played for him on the Celtics) and every season his moves flop. Now Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson are gone and all the Clippers have to show for them is a mediocre bench player.
Mr. Ballmer, Doc is a good coach but it’s time you realized that he is a lousy GM.
Howard Daniels
Encino
Clippers Coach Doc Rivers calls out instructions during the first half of a game Feb. 7.
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I’m glad the Clippers passed on the opportunity to trade Blake Griffin. They should be a better team when he finally returns — but will they? Not without an attitude adjustment on Griffin’s part. It is astounding how many of the Clippers’ defensive lapses could be traced to Griffin’s lack of effort; failure to close on a shooter, losing track of his assignment, making ill-advised switches because it is the easy thing to do.
It is no fluke that the Clippers have played better since his injury. Blake is a fine offensive player, but I hope he will watch how the far less gifted Luc Mbah a Moute plays and take to heart the lesson that hustle and tenacity on the defensive end of the court is what will move the Clippers to the next level. He has the physical tools; he needs develop the mental and emotional ones.
Morris A. Thurston
Villa Park
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I’m sorry, but I’m fed up with all of the athletes, politicians, entertainers, criminals and others who think an insincere apology written for them makes everything OK after they’ve messed up. If they had done the right thing in the first place, they wouldn’t have to give a rehearsed “I’m sorry.” Maybe I’m expecting too much from these people. Sorry.
Rich Rudy
San Diego
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So I guess we have to concede no videos or even just pictures of Matias Testi’s face, but I cannot stop wondering what the “teasing” must have been about.
What words could have enraged Blake Griffin to punch out a “friend” like that? And as they say, “with friends like that, who needs enemies?”
I sure would like to know in case one day I am sitting next to Blake in a social setting, just shooting the breeze and I accidentally stumble on those words and the next thing I know I’m down and out.
Anyone else curious?
Jim B. Parsons
Carpinteria
Spring is here
As a longtime Dodgers fan I have noticed that Andrew Friedman has concentrated in the off-season on building up depth in the management team, while ignoring the real problem of building a strong bullpen. Apparently he feels that bringing in Joe Blanton will be the answer.
Mr Friedman, what dream world do you live in?
Myron Kamisher
Los Angeles
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I know, I know — hope springs eternal when the players report to spring training.
Well, not everywhere. I think the proximity of the management offices at Angel Stadium to the Happiest Place on Earth has skewed their judgment of team management, from Mike Scioscia right up to Arte Moreno. This is not a competitive team, not in the AL West and not even for a wild card. Fourth place and a .500 record is the best the 2016 Angels can anticipate, and they could easily do worse.
This year I’m looking forward to seeing what the Dodgers can accomplish. There’s nothing to expect from the Halos except another lost year in Mike Trout’s young career.
Jeffrey S. Pollak
La Crescenta
Road and track
It should be duly noted that of the six runners who got their ticket punched for the Rio Olympics last weekend, three of them either were or are American-record holders in 10,000 meters on the track. Shalane Flanagan and Galen Rupp are the current record holders and Meb Keflezighi was the 10K record holder in the past. It just reinforces the idea that track speed does translate to greatness on the roads.
Daniel Perez
Norwalk
How they have fallen
Ah, the benefit of playing basketball on your home court. Comfortable in your familiar surroundings, with your student fans loudly cheering you on. No question about the advantage this gives the home team. And as UCLA found out last week, playing on the home court of the Arizona Wildcats and after rolling to a 10-point halftime lead, things can turn around abruptly when you get a little help from your friends, especially those wearing striped shirts.
The home team shot 45 free throws, UCLA shot 16. And you can give odds that if Bruins Coach Steve Alford had mimicked the outrageous behavior of Arizona’s Sean Miller, who ranted and raved at the referees with each foul called on the Wildcats in the second half, he would have been tossed out with two technicals early.
Stan Reshes
Camarillo
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After much disappointment and deep analysis of UCLA’s many losses this season, which will probably keep the Bruins out of even the NIT, I think I finally figured it out: The other teams have better players and coaches.
Alan Segal
San Diego
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Two great things occurred watching the Utah-UCLA game on ESPN: The Bruins lost and I muted Bill Walton. Fight on!
David Marshall
Santa Monica
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