8 potential head coach replacements for Byron Scott

7. Tom Thibodeau

If the Lakers are looking to bring in a big name and someone that will get effort out of his players, Tom Thibodeau might be the guy to help turn the Los Angeles Lakers around. With young guys on the roster, the Lakers can’t lose too much early and be easily impressionable.

Tom Thibodeau was always successful with the Chicago Bulls, and had his team in constant contention in the Eastern Conference. The problem was that they could never get over the hump and he alienated his team by running them into the ground with the massive amount of minutes that he had them play.

In Los Angeles, he has plenty of young talent to work with, and he would have even more in the off-season if the Lakers land a top-three pick in the draft. Thibodeau could instill the strong work ethic that these players can feed on and get better with.

It would be almost like a drill sergeant of sorts. It’s not something they could probably do with Kobe on the roster, but with young talent and a proven coach, they can work on getting back to becoming a playoff team, and if they’re lucky they can maybe attract some talent to the team via free agency.

Plus having been fired, Thibodeau would certainly know what he can and can’t do as a coach in this league. He’s still very respected and could be a potentially good hire for anyone.

Next: 6. Ime Udoka