Byron Scott: Lakers had ‘verbal altercation’ on bench in loss to Nuggets
Kobe Bryant got a day off because he was “really angry.”
Apparently, he’s not the only Laker in a foul mood lately.
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
“Near the end of the Lakers’ 120-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday at Staples Center, Lakers coach Byron Scott said there was “a little bit of a verbal altercation.”
“That’s good,” Scott said after practiced on Wednesday at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo. They tell me that they care. I want to see more fight in our guys. We want to try to stop the bleeding as soon as possible.”
Scott declined to name any players, other than saying that Kobe Bryant was not involved in the altercation. Lakers forward Julius Randle added he was in the game when the incident happened from the bench.”
This probably isn’t a big deal. Scott certainly doesn’t think it is, or he wouldn’t have disclosed it to the media.
But I also don’t trust Scott, who still hasn’t reached his players, to read the pulse of this team.
The Lakers aren’t just 0-4. They’re a miserable 0-4.
Most teams are still optimistic at this point in the season. The internal griping usually comes later.
Maybe Scott is right that the Lakers are just getting their competitive juices flowing. But I’d be worried that they’re going downhill fast.