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Byron Scott Says He Does Not Have a Relationship with D’Angelo Russell

September 30, 2016 by Darius Soriano


This is great news.

(h/t Pro Basketball Talk)


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Comments

  1. Clay Bertrand says

    September 30, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    After seeing the TMZ video of Byron’s comments in the context of the notorious Drive By level of “journalism” practiced by TMZ “reporters”, I don’t take much negativity from the comments as I had just merely reading them.  

    I don’t find it odd, nasty, dramatic, or overly negative on Byron Scott’s part to say he does not have or need to have a relationship with a player he is no longer coaching.  Byron isn’t even involved in the NBA in any professional capacity at this time so the notion that he DOES NOT have some lasting relationship with a 20 year old former player is nothing earth shattering IMO. 

    He’s right.  He DOESN’T need to have a relationship with D’Angelo.  His response regarding the team’s playoff hopes were not negative at all.  He could have just laughed at that question or said something insulting.  He took the high road for the most part.  

    I will say that his “track record” comment is a little overly boastful, somewhat self-serving, and a not entirely accurate.

    D’Angelo, for all his praise of Luke Walton and his comment regarding not receiving guidance last season, he actually gave totally unsolicited compliments to “last year’s coaching staff…” for encouraging and developing his post game when interviewed earlier this week.  

    While its easy to read between the lines that Luke is a much more nurturing coach, clearly a better fit for a team so young, and an easier personality for him to relate to, D’Angelo for his part has not spitefully thrown shade on Byron in anything that I’ve seen or read.  I think that interpreting his high praise and new found excitement for his trashing the former coaching staff and Byron himself unfairly puts words in his mouth and basically tries to stir an empty pot.  

    As a young player with less experience with the media than an older veteran would have, Russell appears earnest and without an agenda when he is interviewed.  He isn’t grinding axes to kindle a beef with the previous regime or deflecting blame for how his rookie year played out.  

    Rather it seems he shoulders a fair share of the blame for how he prepared for last season and that he tries to explain his personal growth that he feels will help him this season.  He is trying to be accountable and there isn’t any blatant bad mouthing or sniping seeping into those narratives.  He seems ready to move on and not dwell on last season.  

    I hope the media doesn’t hound the kid asking him about Byron Scott today…….He doesn’t NEED TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.  

    In other words, it should be a NON STORY.   

    Onward and Upward!!!

  2. MT87 says

    September 30, 2016 at 3:19 pm

    I loved this post.

  3. Nik K says

    September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm

    Ben Simmons with fracture in foot..

  4. the other Stephen says

    September 30, 2016 at 6:58 pm

    Nice!

  5. MT87 says

    September 30, 2016 at 7:03 pm

    Nik K According to Kurt its a Jones fracture too, which sucks for him.  Its hard to feel bad for the sixers, but watching Simmons dime is fun.  Hope it doesn’t linger.

  6. Mid Wilshire says

    September 30, 2016 at 8:11 pm

    MT87 Nik K I hate to see anyone get hurt.  I hope Ben Simmons gets well soon.  I understand that Jones fractures usually take about 8 weeks to heal.  Hopefully, Ben won’t be out too, too long.

  7. fern16 says

    September 30, 2016 at 10:05 pm

    Sorry but why is this news? Obviously it has to do with the Lakers but i mean, is that a surprise? It’s not like they hate each other or something. It’s just like everyone else in the world im not buddy buddy with my former bosses or coworkers save a very selcet few. Did someone expect them to be buddy buddy or that DAR would be calling Byron up for life advise? C’mon…

  8. lalaker14 says

    October 1, 2016 at 6:13 am

    Their relationship or lack thereof is irrelevant this point.

  9. A Horse With No Name says

    October 1, 2016 at 9:05 am

    I was in Isla Vista last night, visiting my sons, on my way to LA. Some more tidbits from the camp scrimmage yesterday from Landon, the kid who posed as a media rep: Zubac blocked two Mozgov shots and looked very good. Yi was impressive, displaying his high level skills. Metta hardly practiced, was just kicking it and watching. Clarkson and Russel played together, dominating the practice, throwing highlight passes and shooting very well. I asked Landon, a very astute fan, who looked like he had the best chance of making the squad of the long shot invitees, and he said Travis Wear, on account of his high level shooting and better than advertised athleticism. I also asked him who he thought of the signed free agents would surprise, and he said Yi.

  10. matt24 says

    October 1, 2016 at 9:11 am

    Nbatv is showing an hour of Lakers training camp.
    They posted a projected depth chart
    Pg. Russell, Calderon
    Sg. Clarkson, williams, young
    Sf. Deng, ingram, mwp
    Pf. Randle, nance, yi, Robinson
    C. Mozgov, black, zubac
    Is it possible to cut both a.brown and Huertas who both have guaranteed contracts

  11. A Horse With No Name says

    October 1, 2016 at 9:18 am

    Huertas is a lock, and will likely be the backup pg. AB is likely on the bubble. Sure, they can cut him.

  12. A Horse With No Name says

    October 1, 2016 at 9:19 am

    On more tidbit: Nick Young is looking good and drilling threes.

  13. matt24 says

    October 1, 2016 at 9:54 am

    Ok, the above depth chart seems possible, minus mwp.

  14. Clay Bertrand says

    October 1, 2016 at 11:09 am

    I could be wrong….but it seems to me that a lot of times these
    days, certain media outlets crank out these “articles” that are basically 2 paragraphs
    long often with stale, heavily rehashed quotes from other reporter’s interviews.  Basically, the quotes evolve into their own
    context because the original interview is not entirely reflected.  Further, the body language and/or voice
    inflections of the person giving the quote obviously is absent from any type of
    written report. 

    The result is a 21st Century game of viral
    telephone a lot of times.

    Case in Point, take the following quote from D’Angelo
    Russell that is making the rounds:
    “Last offseason was Looney Tunes,” Russell recently told http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-dangelo-russell-20160920-snap-story.html of the Los Angeles Times. “Wasn’t real. I didn’t get nothing out of it.”

    This quote has been taken and run with in a few pieces as
    Russell taking a shot at Byron Scott. 
    Next we have TMZ Frankensteining a beef and trying to stoke a fire that
    isn’t even burning when they hit Scott with questions about his relationship
    with Russell.  Scott says they don’t have
    one and the Jerry Springer crowd CROWS!! 
    Now we’ve got this little media manufactured back and forth going
    right???

    Not exactly.  The
    media jumps to conclusions it wants to have you believe exist.  I offer this alternative angle which, I
    happen to believe is more logical and likely more accurate:  
    When Russell is comparing HIS offseason last
    year to his offseason THIS year, he is referring to the whole business of being
    an NBA Draftee.  When guys prepare for
    the draft, it’s to a great extent a carefully tailored marketing display of
    their talents designed to highlight their strengths and hide their flaws in
    order to get them drafted in the highest spot possible which SURPRISE,
    maximizes their contract dollar figure and of course, their agent’s commission. 

    When Russell says last offseason was “Looney Tunes……Wasn’t
    real…..I didn’t get nothing out of it,” it should be interpreted less of a cross-haired
    snipe at Byron Scott, and more of a very honest statement from a kid about that
    whole PreDraft-Draft-PostDraft process that left his head spinning and
    delivered him to Camp physically and probably mentally unprepared to handle his
    first NBA season. 

    * PreDraft, it’s all about the individual and small group
    workouts.  Guys fly all over the country
    to work out for teams.  They aren’t working
    on weaknesses, they are trying to showcase their talents.  Teams are not running them through
    improvement reps, they are trying to see what they’ve got already as far as
    skills.  So this is a waste of
    developmental training time and essentially, it’s a glorified tryout.  
    * Then you have the whole Draft festivities deal with the
    players friends & family going to NY and all.  Intermingled with this process there may be
    endorsement deals and even commercials shot for the upcoming season.  These guys are professionals now and the
    profession begins as soon as the amateur status ends but BEFORE training camp
    starts.  Its conceivable guys are doing
    commercials before they even set foot on the team practice floor. 

    * Post Draft you have this young player (and his
    representatives etc.) having to make arrangements to relocate his whole life to
    the other side of the country—to a large metro city, trying to find suitable
    housing for he and his supporting family—in L.A.—fairly near the Lakers
    facility.   You also have this young 19 year old kid
    getting introduced to the team facilities, training staff and the strength and
    conditioning coach, coaching staff, and the very very beginnings of MAYBE a
    workout program.  NONE OF WHICH he had
    dealt with on the same scale in his ONE LONE YEAR at Ohio State.  All the while mind you, this kid is doing
    tons of media appearances and interviews etc. 

    Then BAM—Training Camp starts and he’s thrown into the
    fire.  Clearly not a lot of time for REAL
    BASKETBALL TRAINING in an offseason like that.  
    When Russell says, “Looney Tunes…” etc., he isn’t speaking
    chiefly about Byron’s training camp or the Lakers offseason preparation.  He’s referring in a larger sense to the whole
    circus that took the focus away from his own ON COURT PREPARATION.  To be sure, his last offseason was a
    whirlwind of non-basketball related activities and ultimately, that showed on
    the court. 
    It seems 95% of the media heard this quote and ran with the
    BASHING BYRON angle and I think that was an unfair and unfortunate misinterpretation.

    I’m sure Russell prefers Luke to Byron.  The same could be said for most of the
    players and literally MILLIONS of Laker Followers worldwide.  But this kid is trying to do right and say
    the right things and start fresh with a positive mental attitude and an
    embracing of the leadership role he is being groomed to play.  The last thing he wants to do is point
    fingers and deflect blame. 

    I believe that he shoulders enough of the blame for his
    rookie season not being what it could have been for him to be personally driven
    this year to focus on improving.  He
    wants to begin to make his mark like he sees his buddies Devin Booker and Karl
    Anthony Towns doing.  He is anxious to
    get last season’s bad taste out of his mouth and to begin to live up to his lofty
    expectations of a #2 pick.  Trying to
    shirk accountability and blame Byron Scott is not on Russell’s agenda.  He ain’t got time for all that because this new
    reality of what the Lakers are under Luke is coming at him so fast, he’s got
    all he can handle and he seems to be loving it. 

    From Looney Tunes to the Super Friends baby!!!!!

  15. fern16 says

    October 1, 2016 at 2:55 pm

    Makes sense but i would put Calderon over Huertas.

  16. fern16 says

    October 1, 2016 at 3:00 pm

    Completely unrelated but i guess Simmons is the latest victim of the “Sixers broken foot” sindrome. Better them than us.

  17. fern16 says

    October 1, 2016 at 3:03 pm

    Nevermind. Caledron is 2nd i misread. I imagine Huertas is the 3rd string pg.

  18. Vasheed says

    October 3, 2016 at 6:54 am

    matt24
    I’d love to know when was the last time the Lakers cut a guy from the roster who had a fully guaranteed contract?

  19. matt24 says

    October 3, 2016 at 8:44 am

    You think byron scott is still dating that Filipino girl he was with at last years training camp?

  20. matt24 says

    October 3, 2016 at 8:54 am

    Tmz reporter, was trolling hard.

  21. fern16 says

    October 3, 2016 at 7:33 pm

    Is being reported that Simmons might sit out the entire season. Hmm

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