The victory in the first ball game undoubtedly gave Byron Scott a pretty good answer. Although they were playing against a bottom team like the Utah Jazz, the Lakers hardly expended much energy and easily defeated their opponents.
Therefore, after the game, the media continued to praise Byron Scott. Although there were also different voices, in the victory, these opponents did not cause any trouble.
Not only him, but also the rookie player Steven Scott, his nephew who he values very much, was also touted by some media people because of his 30-point debut after coming to the Lakers. The fans followed and supported him.
"Steven's draft pick was No. 11, two spots higher than Kobe! Of course, I'm not saying he can surpass Kobe, but this guy must be very talented... "
"He took too many shots, and he was very hesitant in the first quarter, but his performance was really good later on. Not every player can increase his score by stacking up shots..."
"Steven may become the second best second position for the Lakers. The first one is Kobe..."
In an interview with local media in Los Angeles the next day, Byron Scott also showed public support for his nephew Steven Scott.
"Steven is a very talented guy, he just lacks opportunities. He will follow me to help the Lakers win the championship..."
When reporters asked Byron Scott how he viewed his performance, he still looked confident.
"I will lead this sinking team out of the quagmire!"
"When Kobe comes back from injury, we will become the most powerful presence in the league..."
The Lakers have indeed undergone a slight change due to the arrival of Byron Scott. At least, Byron Scott is quite powerful in attracting outside public opinion.
After finishing their away game, within two days, the Lakers once again faced their next regular season opponent.
This time, the team coming to Los Angeles to challenge them is the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Minnesota Timberwolves ranked fourth from the bottom in the Western Conference last season, and their record was really disastrous. They made a comeback this season. After the team made several important transactions, they thought they would have a good start to the season.
Unexpectedly, they have lost two-thirds of their games so far in the regular season.
At this time, the Los Angeles Lakers' record is ranked ninth in the Western Conference, and they are in the tenth position in the Western Conference.
The rankings are not much different, but there is actually a gap between the two sides in terms of lineup.
After Kobe Bryant temporarily entered a state of recuperation, the Lakers, who have made successive transactions, have essentially been unable to produce any influential stars.
On the other hand, the Minnesota Timberwolves originally had an inside presence like Kevin Love who averaged nearly 20 points per game, and then acquired a strong role player like Kevin Martin through a trade. The team also has a "golden boy." A group of strong main players such as Rubio and Nikola Pekovic.
From this point of view, it is already quite advantageous compared to the Lakers, whose lineup is chaotic and has just changed their coach.
Staples Center Arena.
Half an hour before the game started, outside the Lakers locker room, team coach Byron Scott was quietly discussing something with a black man in the corner.
"Chris, you have to help me, mobilize your connections... I need you to continue to hype me and Steven, especially Steven, as long as he performs well, you must establish him as a genius. .....Get it? Man..."
"Byron, I know what you want to do, and these are not problems. Look at what happened before! Those articles and reports were all written by people from our newspaper... However, the price negotiated before is no longer suitable. …I need to renegotiate the price with you…”
"Damn... okay! I can give you more benefits, but you must promise to do what I tell you..."
The conversation between the two ended quickly. Just as Byron Scott was about to leave, a voice suddenly startled him.
"Uncle, what are you doing?"
The person who came was none other than Steven Scott.
When Byron Scott saw that it was his nephew, he calmed down his already unhappy emotions, put his arm around his shoulders, and pulled him forward in a low voice.
"Steven, I will give you more time... You must score like crazy..."
"Remember, as long as you score more points, the more likely you are to become the cornerstone of the Lakers team... Don't care about the old guy Kobe, he is already 35 years old, and he will retire in one or two seasons. of......"
"Look! After that old guy retires, I will recommend you to the management... The Lakers will definitely rebuild, and you will be their best choice... .”
Byron Scott's description made Steven Scott's face full of excitement.
"Really?"
"Am I going to be the core of the Lakers' rebuild?"
"Damn... God! This is definitely the most important thing in my life..."
As he approached the door of the locker room, Byron Scott also patted his nephew Steven Scott on the shoulder and booed him.
Steven Scott understood it and immediately shut up and followed his uncle into the locker room.
The game was about to start. Byron Scott arranged the team lineup as usual. As before, he put Steven Scott on the starting list in front of everyone.
That's nothing, Zhao Feiyang and Nick Young entered the substitute list again.
They were miserable in the last game, because the Lakers maintained the lead most of the time, so they didn't get a chance to play.
This game is against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are not much different in strength. With the strength of the two of them, how can they be qualified to enter the rotation.
Although the other players looked at each other and expressed surprise, no one stood up and publicly refuted it.
"Wait a moment."
This time Zhao Feiyang finally couldn't bear it anymore.
Not only him, but also Nick Young. After the previous exchange, the two of them have now become brothers.
"Mr. Byron, we think this arrangement is unreasonable!"
Nick Young said.
Zhao Feiyang also added, "Since the beginning of the season, Nick has averaged 16 points per game, and I have averaged 15+ points per game. Moreover, Nick and I have both scored 30+ points in these games. ... Isn’t all of this enough to get us into the rotation?”
"If you insist on not letting us play, then Nick and I don't mind making a big deal... Maybe Mr. Byron, you don't care about your reputation, but we believe that making it known to the media will definitely have an impact on you. Bigger than us….”
