Vinny Del Negro defends Byron Scott benching D’Angelo Russell

After D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle were strangely benched, former head coach Vinny Del Negro defended the move.

Besides Kobe Bryant’s farewell tour, all anyone can talk about right now when it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers, was Byron Scott’s decision to bench his two young, talented players, Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell.

Before the team’s game against the Toronto Raptors, both players who were starting to play some good basketball, were both benched in favor of a different lineup, as Scott tried to put a lineup on the court that could maybe help the team win some games.

It didn’t work and many, including Russell and Randle, were left wondering why they were benched, when they were beginning to start to develop nicely.

Well there is one person in this world that is defending Byron Scott, and it is former Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls head coach, Vinny Del Negro.

While Del Negro might have a point about the Lakers trying to find what works, they are dead last in the Western Conference and their season is already done. By playing Russell and Randle, the Lakers can just let the two get all the minutes they want and develop on the court.

Benching them when they are starting to play well, doesn’t help their confidence or get them the important court time that they need to develop. No one likes a losing season, but when their is young guys to watch grow and learn, it gives at least something to watch.

Scott even robbed them of that. It’s that type of thinking that is going to lead to him being fired, and the type of thinking why Del Negro hasn’t been a head coach since.