Byron Scott is Searching for Motivation Against Orlando Magic
By Ian McEwan
@IanClarkMcEwan
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Following the dismissal of Orlando Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott said the move was a “slap in the face” to his team, because it shows the Magic view the Lakers as a fresh start to get their new head coach, James Borrego, started with a win.
There are a few things happening within the context of this quote. The first, and perhaps most obvious motivation for Scott to comment on the affairs of another team, is that he’s simply trying to keep his beaten, battered ball club motivated in a meaningless February game as the All-Star break (read, vacation) quickly approaches. It’s no secret the Lakers will fail to qualify for postseason play this year. Outside of individual performance toward that next NBA check, there is not a common goal remaining to bind these Lakers together.
Scott is using any and every resource available to keep guys invested in an increasingly lost season. He has already commented on the effort level of the club by referring to them as “soft” and commenting it didn’t look like Nick Young even wanted to be present with the team. This is an audition for Scott to show his bosses that he is capable of guiding the team through tough times, even when there is no sign of the storm dissipating.
This is also a subtle denial of the Lakers’ apparent attempts to tank this season away into a top-five draft pick. This is not a comment we would expect to hear from the most notorious tankers in all of sports, the Philadelphia 76ers. By implying the Lakers are to be respected as an opponent, Scott is implying that the Lakers have no intention to tank.
Adding more intrigue to this situation is that the Magic are the team directly ahead of the Lakers in the standings. If the Lakers were to pass the Magic in the standings, L.A.’s odds of retaining their draft pick fall about 27 percent. Despite the integrity with which Scott is speaking with, perhaps it would be best to cede this round to Orlando and in doing so, preserve future assets.
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