One of the biggest problems for the Los Angeles Lakers last season was on the defensive side of the basketball floor. Former head coach Mike D’Antoni struggled to enforce a defensive philosophy last season and therefore the team was one of the worst teams in the league in that category.
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D’Antoni’s successor, Byron Scott, will go with a difficult approach in his first season as the Lakers coach. Scott intends to make defense the team’s top priority.
Scott answered fan’s questions on the Lakers’ Twitter account on Friday and made it clear that defense will be a priority:
.@Zach2016Monk #1 priority for this season is to get our team to play defense on a consistent basis every single night. #AskByron
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 8, 2014
Scott will have his hands full headed into the 2014-15 NBA season. The 53-year-old will have many of the players from last year’s roster back in the fold along with five new faces in the form of Jeremy Lin, Carlos Boozer, Ed Davis, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle.
Most of the players on the roster aren’t known for their defensive capabilities. Kobe Bryant has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times in his career, but will be 36-years-old next season while coming off consecutive season-ending injuries.
Needless to say, Scott will be facing quite the challenge come October with the odds not in his favor.
[divide]Lakers Introduce Byron Scott (PT 2): All About Championships. Period.
