Nick Young is ‘Very Motivated’ to Prove Byron Scott Wrong

During their disastrous first season together, Nick Young and Byron Scott did not exactly see eye-to-eye.

Young was taken aback by Scott’s public criticism, and has vowed to prove to his demanding head coach that he was wrong about him.

The Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t find a taker for Swaggy P this summer, so these two know they must somehow make their partnership work.

Per the OC Register:

Byron Scott publicly challenged him to either play defense or get comfortable watching from the bench. […] “It was the first time a coach has called me out in the media or, in a larger scale in the media,” Young said. “Because everybody pays attention to the Lakers and L.A. is L.A.”

 

So strained became Young’s relationship with Scott, that the Lakers explored trading him in the offseason. They signed Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams to provide the kind of bench role for which they once counted on Young. […] A week into a new season, however, something seems to be turning for Young and Scott. The coach has praised Young for making a better effort on both ends of the court, as well as with his attitude.

 

“I think he’s made strides in those departments that we talked about on both ends of the floor,” Scott said before Young scored 10 points in the Lakers’ preseason opener Sunday. “I’m going to harp on him all season long to continue to get better at it.” […] “He finds ways to motivate players,” Young said. “And right now I’m very motivated to prove him wrong and prove the world that doubted Swaggy wrong.”