Lakers Hire Byron Scott to Become Next Head Coach

The Lakers' Odyssey of searching for the next head coach is over. After multiple interviews, the Lakers finally hire Laker alumni, Byron Scott to be the next head coach for the team. Though Scott hasn't had much success recently, having been fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in his last tenure, his past achievements cannot be overlooked as he coached the New Jersey Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals in 2002-2003 losing to the Lakers and the Spurs, became a 2x NBA All-Star Head Coach in 2002 and 2008, and won the NBA Coach of the Year Award in 2008 with the then, New Orleans Hornets.

Full article: http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-byron-scott-coach-negotiations-20140725-story.html?track=rss

My thoughts: First off, I would like to say it's about time the Lakers have the head coaching position occupied. I'm surprised it took that long and that deep into the offseason for them to finally get the guy for the head coaching position. With Scott, the Lakers were really intrigued for his services, hence why he was the most interviewed coach for the team out of all the potential head coaching candidates like a Lionel Hollins, George Karl, Mike Dunleavy Sr., etc. Personally, I like the hire. Byron Scott is a purple and gold alumni and he knows the Lakers organization and Kobe Bryant inside and out (well hopefully). What we get out of Byron Scott is a coach that is going to bring the best out of players and a coach that has a no nonsense personality. Only concerning thing about Scott is what kind of system is he going to implement with the personnel the Lakers have? Because the Lakers went out and signed some guys (well re-signed with Lin, Boozer, and Davis as exceptions) and we don't know what kind of system that best fits the players' talent. Other than that, it's still a good hire. Scott is going to make this Laker team competitive even though it's year 2 of a long rebuilding process to put this franchise back to its winning ways. Playoffs? I'll hold that into consideration until early on in the season. For now, the Lakers recovered from a slow start into the offseason and finished strong, filled out their roster to the max, retained some key players from last year, and now, they found a coach.

Oakland Raiders 2014 Offseason Activity (will be constantly updated)

*This is part 2 of the Raiders' recent offseason transactions with the free agency period in effect*

07/24:

Loss:

LB Kevin Burnett - released

COMMENT: I originally projected Kevin Burnett to be cut after the preseason as the roster trims down to 53. The Raiders are loaded at the linebacker position and it's a move during training camp to pave way for the future for Burris and Sio Moore to play weak side opposite of Khalil Mack and terrorize offenses for years to come and it's a salary cap move because Burnett was set to have the highest contract on the team for a backup if he were to lose the starting job. Not a huge loss, the linebacker position still has Nick Roach to provide that veteran presence for the younger players.

05/19:

Gain:

WR Greg Little (CLE) - Claimed off waivers

COMMENT: Low risk move that Reggie made post-draft. With the Browns signing Miles Austin, they made Little expendable because they needed a proven veteran since Josh Gordon is going to miss some time. Little has a lot of potential, just that he's not consistent, but he adds depth to the receiving corps and he'll compete to assert himself with Streater, Moore, Holmes, and Jones.

04/21:

Loss:

QB Terrelle Pryor - Traded to the Seattle Seahawks (Raiders get a 7th round pick from Seattle)

COMMENT: The trading games the Raiders and Seahawks have with each other continues. Not a lot of details, but I'm hoping we get some sort of late round draft pick in exchange, which would gain back from trading our 6th round pick for Schaub. Sucks that Pryor has to go, I don't know if you could call me a TP defender, there were times last season where I gave him praise, but other times, he makes head scratching decisions. For the Seahawks, they're getting another dynamic threat to back up Russell Wilson. I'm hoping Pryor can take notes from Wilson's work ethic because it's not just about improving throwing mechanics and accuracy, you have to look at a lot of film on yourself and opposing defenses and that's what Pryor has to add into his work ethic if he truly wants to succeed in the QB position at the NFL-level. Best of luck to him, I know a lot of Pryor fans are going to be upset, but it at least ends a mini civil war among the Raider Nation between the TP defenders and TP detractors.

04/02:

Gain:

RB Jeremy Stewart - Re-signed

COMMENT: Obviously brought back for depth at the running back position, but he's also a hell of a playmaker on special teams.

04/01:

Loss:

WR Jacoby Ford - Signed with the New York Jets

COMMENT: We all admit, Ford was never the same after his foot injury in the Thursday Night game against the Chargers during the 2011 season. He was an explosive kick returner and big play maker in his rookie year and half of his sophomore year, then things went a little downhill after he missed the whole 2012 season and he took a big step back last year. He's still young though and best of luck on his new team.

OG Mike Brisiel - Released

COMMENT: Brisiel was signed in Reggie McKenzie's first year as the Raiders were committed to the zone-blocking scheme, now that the power blocking scheme was brought back last year, Brisiel was expendable and it was only a matter of time till the Raiders didn't need his service.

03/31:

Gain:

CB Carlos Rogers - Signed to an undisclosed deal (via Raiders' official Twitter)

COMMENT: When my Team Stream app went off and it began with "Raiders sign...", I actually thought we got D-Jax and then Carlos Rogers' name is on there, all the excitement left. Anyway, the secondary has been the least of Reggie's concern this offseason and it was very bothering, but Rogers gives us another veteran presence in the secondary and will be of major help to D.J. Hayden's development. And hey, we've reunited the duo of Rogers and Brown to the other side of the Bay. Thanks 49ers and Coach Harbaugh, now you've given us two of your defensive backs that are familiar with your guys' schemes with Kaepernick and friends when we play you guys this season. Bravo! Still, D-JAX TO OAKLAND!

03/28:

Gain:

DT Pat Sims - Re-signed to a 1 year deal

COMMENT: Good to see Pat Sims brought back for depth purposes on the defensive line. He showed a lot of promise last season being a solid run stopper and being a disruptive force in the interior. Reggie's having a busy day today and deserves a pat on the back for the work he's putting in today.

DE C.J. Wilson (GB) - Signed to a undisclosed deal

COMMENT: Reggie digging in the Packers' pool again. The signing basically adds more depth to the Raiders' defensive line and rightfully so.


RB Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX) - Agreed to a 3 year deal (CONTRACT DETAILS: 3 year $7.5 M)

COMMENT: I said it in my Season in Review post last year that it wouldn't hurt to bring in MJD, but I did say he should McFadden's replacement. He's coming home, playing with the team he grew up loving, yeah he's also injury prone, but we tend to forget he was a 3 time Pro Bowler, something McFadden still has to do and a valuable RB2/RB3s in fantasy leagues and the Jaguars couldn't surround him with talent and much needed help. I still watch the 2010 game where D-Mac and Mojo went head to head and they were putting up ridiculous numbers and making big plays in the running game and it's crazy to think they're on the same team now (potentially). If both can stay healthy, I mean damn, run defenses have to pick their poison carefully. MJDMC?

03/27:

Loss:

CB Phillip Adams - Signed with the Seattle Seahawks to a 1 year deal

COMMENT: Another under-the-radar move I missed and again, not a huge loss. 

03/21:

Gain:

QB Matt Schaub (HOU) - Acquired via trade for late round pick (Raiders give up a 6th round pick for Schaub)

COMMENT: Not a lot of sources are reporting on it, but so far if it's on Yahoo Sports, ESPN, Bleacher Report, then it's verifiable. Raiders still have to announce it too, but the acquisition of Schaub is a safe transaction. It would be stupid enough for the Raiders to give away an early round pick, but the Texans were open to take a late rounder and it worked out. Schaub obviously needed a change of scenery, especially considering the backlash he took from Houston and arguing with his best receiver in Andre Johnson and he fits our offensive system considering Greg Olson is a West Coast Offense/Power Blocking scheme coordinator and Schaub spent his entire career in Houston running the West Coast Offense. Overall, good pickup, glad we didn't give too much.


03/20:

Loss:

CB Mike Jenkins - Signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 1-year $1.5 M deal

COMMENT: An under the radar move the Bucs were able to make. Not too much of a loss considering we replaced him and Porter with Tarell Brown and hopefully we can add another corner because not a lot of confidence in Hayden yet to go on the field to take on the elite receivers and hold his own.

03/19:

Gain:

FS Charles Woodson - Re-signed to a 1 year deal (via Twitter)

COMMENT: It's fitting to see C-Wood finish out his career in Oakland. I said in my preview, C-Wood is a perennial fan favorite and the Raiders failing to re-sign him would have us, the Raider Nation, livid. However, we do know Woodson's getting up there in age, but his presence on the field alone keeps the defense to keep playing and stay competitive and if nobody's making a play, he'll put that defense on his back to step up and make a play.

03/18:

Gain:

OT Donald Penn (TB) - Agreed to an undisclosed deal (via Twitter) (Contract Details: 2 years $9.6 M)

COMMENT: More details to come. If it is official, the Raiders gain another veteran to anchor the offensive line and finally an offensive tackle to protect the blind side. Penn is no long term replacement of Jared Veldheer, but he is a proven vet and a Pro Bowler. It'd be interesting to see the contract details because Tampa Bay didn't want to pay him big money for a long-term contract hence why they released him. Nonetheless, great pick up.

03/17:

Gain:

OG Kevin Boothe (NYG) - Agreed to a 2 year deal

COMMENT: Still got to fill in the void Jared Veldheer left behind at Left Tackle, but the addition of Kevin Boothe adds more beef to the O-line. Yeah the Giants offensive line was really awful last season at protecting Eli Manning, but Boothe is a major upgrade (provided he plays left guard, which he did in his career during the Giants' Super Bowl runs) over Lucas Nix. UPDATE COMMENT: Totally forgot he was a Raider before. Oh well, the 2006 season has been indeed a forgettable season and even more forgettable when we drafted Jamarcus Russell the offseason after that season. Now with at least some rings under his belt, he's another veteran that brings experience as a Super Bowl champion.

WR James Jones (GB) - Agreed to a 3 year deal (via Twitter) (CONTRACT DETAILS: 3 year $11.3 M)

COMMENT: YES! We all knew Reggie McKenzie was going to dig into his Green Bay roots at some point in the offseason and he got us what we need, a veteran wide receiver. There were some rumors that he was headed to Carolina to replace Steve Smith as Cam Newton's go to guy, but Reggie did his work to snatch him away from the Panthers. Jones will be an excellent mentor to our young receivers.

Lakers 2014 Offseason News

07/18:

Gain:

Ryan Kelly - Re-signed to a 2 year deal

Comment: Ryan Kelly has the potential to be a great 3 points shooter at the power forward position. Since D'Antoni gave him more minutes, I was really impressed with his game as a rookie drafted in the 2nd round. It's rebuilding year #2 and I'm glad the Lakers are giving more time to develop him because he, like Sacre have potential to be great backups and valuable role players in the near future as they continue to develop their game as long as the Lakers have a coach to put them in the best position possible. Speaking of coaches, Lakers filled out their roster, the long head coaching search should come to a conclusion soon. Stay tuned.

Wesley Johnson - Re-signed to a 1 year deal

Comment: Didn't expect for Wes to stay, but the Lakers needed some option to back up Nick Young and fill the small forward position. He's good on defense, but on offense he still needs a little polishing, especially with his three point shooting. Wesley Johnson has the athleticism and potential, but he needs to find his confidence to shed his 1st round bust label.

Xavier Henry -  Re-signed to a 1 year deal

Comment: X is back on the team. He put up very promising numbers off the bench, just unfortunate that his opportunity to shed his 1st round bust category was derailed with injuries. Henry is quick, best used as a slasher in the paint to clamp down on opposing defenses. He can shoot the 3-ball too but again, I believe he is best used when he's cutting or driving to the basket and drawing the contact.

Loss:

Kendall Marshall - waived

Comment: Even though Marshall fell off during the end of the season, I thought I could see him as a backup point guard at best. It's nice enough to know that the Lakers will consider bringing him back after he's cleared waivers. Very unselfish with the ball, just needs to work on his jump shot and understanding the role of being a floor general-type point guard.

07/17:

Gain:

PF Carlos Boozer (CHI) - Claimed off amnesty waivers


Comment: His numbers have fallen off and basically was a non-factor this season for the Bulls, but Boozer was the best option available for the Lakers to fill a void Gasol left behind. Since the Bulls made the move for Gasol, it was inevitable that they would no longer need Boozer's service. Boozer's offensive game is still solid, but his defense has been suspect the throughout the majority his career. I'm sure he and Kobe will get along just fine considering they were Olympic teammates in the 2008 Beijing games and they have gone through many battles against each other in the playoffs when Boozer was still in Utah, so long time familiarity should benefit.

07/16:

Gain:

PF Ed Davis (MEM) - Agreed to sign to a 2 year $2 M Deal

Comment: I actually think this an underrated free agent signing the Lakers made. True there are times where Davis can contribute big numbers when called upon, but at times can be nonexistent in some games as evident in his play in Toronto. I think his last two seasons with the Grizzlies made him much more of a hard nosed player due to Memphis' grit and grind mentality and he has a lot of upside, just needs more minutes to show off his potential. Hopefully whoever's the coach, I hope the coach knows how to utilize Davis and hope he can also play at the center position so Julius Randle's rookie impact is not derailed, but there's going to be great competition at the power forward position with Randle, Hill, and now Davis.

07/12:

Loss:

Pau Gasol - Agreed to sign with the Chicago Bulls

Comment: Now the rebuilding officially begins. As much as a downer Pau was during the last three seasons, you can't deny since his arrival, the Lakers made three straight finals and won two back-to-back with him on the roster. Gasol wants to prove that he still has some good basketball in him and he deserves a team that respects his game, in which I hope the Bulls do consider and Tom Thibodeou is a heck of a coach. All of this dated back to Mike Brown not respecting his game, then Mike D'Antoni did not respect his game. I understand where Pau's coming from because the last two coaches did not appreciate what he did to the organization before they arrived and best of luck to him in Chicago.

Kent Bazemore - Agreed to sign with the Atlanta Hawks

Comment: Though he was just only a Laker for a half a season, Bazemore displayed some potential on both offense and defense and credit where it's due, D'Antoni did a fine job giving the guy minutes as to opposed to when he was in Golden State, he was just a mere cheerleader and only played during garbage time. With extended minutes, Bazemore made the most of it and contributed decent games. Best of luck to him in Atlanta.

07/11:

Gain:

Jordan Hill - Agreed to re-sign to a 2 year $18 M Deal

Comment: Great to see that Mr. All Out Hustle is coming back to the Lakers. Hopefully he gets to see more playing time on the court because he can score a little, but his rebounding and hustle gives the Lakers a lot of energy. I see that Mitch on the first day of free agency is trying to strengthen that 2nd unit. Although I agree that $18 million is kinda too much to pay Hill that kind of money, but hopefully his productivity will make him worth that money.

Nick Young - Agreed to re-sign to a 4 year $21.5 M Deal (via Twitter)

Comment: The #StaySwag campaign worked! Nick Young said he doesn't want to go nowhere, but LA and he got his wish. Really great contributor off the bench, but doesn't play well when he's in the starting lineup. I think we kinda overpaid for him and he was considering to take less money to stay in LA. With the acquisition of Lin and Swaggy P staying, our bench is gonna improve a lot as long we keep adding the right players. 

PG Jeremy Lin (HOU) - Acquired via  trade along with a future 1st round pick

Comment: No it's not Melo nor is it big news compared to LeBron's buzzing return to Cleveland, but Lakers needed to make a move in the free agency rather than wait on Melo and lo and behold, Linsanity comes to LA. One thing positive is that we're getting young at the point guard position, but Lin is a seasoned young veteran point guard. Obviously Steve Nash is old, Marshall was way inconsistent, and Farmar had some of his highlights in his 2nd time around, but couldn't stay on the court due to injuries. This is the first step, not a big step, but Lakers could get on track slowly by adding role players with talent and not wait around for a star player.

07/06:

Loss: 

Jordan Farmar - Agreed to sign a 2 year $4.2 M deal with the LA Clippers

Comment: This is like the 3rd consecutive offseason that the Clippers picked up another player that last played for the Lakers, first Matt Barnes two offseasons ago, then Antawn Jamison last offseason, and now Farmar. Obviously, LA is Farmar's hometown and he wants to say, but I'm a little surprised that he decided to take a contract offer from the Clippers and didn't try to convince Kupchak that he wants to stay a Laker. The Clippers lost Darren Collison (though he's just moving up NorCal to Sacramento) so why not replace a UCLA alumni with another UCLA alumni?

07/04:

Loss: 

Chris Kaman - Agreed to sign a 2 year $9.8 M Deal with the Portland Trailblazers

Comment: Kaman was just a stop gap for the Lakers because last offseason they needed to fill a huge void at the center position that Dwight Howard left behind. Not saying, Kaman was the answer, but he and shifting Pau at center were just temporary bandages. If we do sign Melo, since that's the Lakers' top priority, the Lakers gotta look after some big men now. Even if we do re-sign Pau, we'll need a lot of depth at center.

07/01:

Loss:

Jodie Meeks - Agreed to sign a 3 year $16 million deal with the Detroit Pistons

Comment: Meeks had his breakout year with the Lakers last season and one thing I observed from last season to his previous seasons is the Meeks put up decent numbers as a starter than as a bench player. Best of luck to him in Detroit and hope he performs well under Stan Van Gundy's system, wish we could've kept him for reserve reasons, but he deserves a shot as a full time starter.