The Los Angeles Lakers full-scale reclamation project began in earnest the moment Kobe Bryant walked off the Staples Center court for the last time.
Replacing the out-of-touch Byron Scott with Luke Walton was the first step in a long remodeling process. Scott couldn’t resonate with his younger players. He let a 38-year-old Bryant hijack the offense, to the tune of 1,113 field goal attempts in 66 games. He made Russell, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, feel like a shell of himself. Scott was a short-term stopgap when the Lakers needed a coach that prioritized long-term development.