Los Angeles Lakers to instill ‘toughness’ under Byron Scott
By Bryan Rose
Not only have the Los Angeles Lakers lacked talent (outside of Kobe Bryant) for the past season or two, they’ve also lacked toughness.
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A rather poor defensive team under Mike D’Antoni, the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t have much of an identity though that’s soon to change according to Basketball Insiders. Now under the watch of Byron Scott, it’s believed the Los Angeles Lakers will have a ‘toughness’ instilled into their roster as the franchise looks to get back on the right track.
"Look for Scott to attempt to reestablish a certain toughness, intensity and personal accountability that should help, but the key could be in whether he can get the team to buy in and remain dedicated to both defending and rebounding as a unit at all times."
Just having Kobe Bryant back on the floor will be a huge addition for the Los Angeles Lakers, not only because of his talent but the way his teammates feed off of his intensity. That’s something you saw a lack of last season, especially when Kobe Bryant wasn’t on the bench.
Add in the additional veteran talent like Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer and it’s safe to say the Lakers will be a bit ‘tougher’ from a mental standpoint this season. Of course, neither Boozer nor Lin are known for their defensive skills so it remains to be seen if the toughness will translate to keeping opposing offenses off the board. But there’s no doubt the Lakers will have a new identity this season with toughness likely being the biggest change.
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