The Lakers search for Byron Scott’s assistant coaches unearthed a couple interesting candidates:
- Former Laker and Spur Robert Horry
- Georgian national team coach and longtime NBA assistant Igor Kokoskov
In the end, the Lakers hired neither.
Lakers release:Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that Paul Pressey, Jim Eyen and Mark Madsen will serve as assistant coaches on Byron Scott’s staff. Additionally, it was announced that Clay Moser (assistant coach/head advance NBA scout), Larry Lewis (assistant coach/director of player development), Thomas Scott (assistant coach/player development), Tom Bialaszewski (video coordinator/coach), and J.J. Outlaw (video coordinator/player development) will round out Scott’s staff.
“I’m excited to have completed my staff with a group of individuals who each possess unique skills, but all share my vision for the future of this team,” said Scott. “Paul is a great basketball mind with vast experience and someone with whom I have worked before, while Jim returns to the Laker family with a proven track record and a tremendous amount of respect around the league. Thomas has worked very hard through the ranks of the video department, player development and the NBA Development League to earn this position. I’m delighted to retain Mark, Clay, Larry, Tom and J.J., who are all highly qualified and have worked tirelessly with our players throughout the summer to prepare for next season. I can say with certainty that our staff is dedicated to upholding the winning culture and tradition of the Los Angeles Lakers.”
Pressey and Eyen are longtime NBA assistants. Pressey worked under Scott in Cleveland and New Orleans, and Eyen previously worked for the Lakers in the Pat Riley/Mike Dunleavy days. Madsen, a former Laker player, gets promoted after serving as a player-development coach.
My biggest takeaway: Scott knows what he’s doing. Not a single one of his assistants has NBA head-coaching experience.
That makes it harder for the Lakers to fire Scott, because the interim replacement would be so underwhelming.
