Could Byron Scott be one and done?
It’s just speculation at this point, but could Byron Scott leave the Cavs after only one season as coach?
According to Marc Stein at ESPN, writing in Saturday’s Weekend Dime, it’s a possibility, depending on if Phil Jackson decides to retire as Lakers coach after this season:
The persistent word out of Lakerland is that Phil Jackson, at 65, is serious when he says that this will be his last season coaching Kobe Bryant. Far trickier is figuring out who sits at the front of the line to replace him.
Veteran assistant Brian Shaw is the only member of Jackson’s staff in the mix, but Shaw (who appeared to be a front runner last summer for the Cavs job), according to one team insider, might have “a better shot than anybody else” purely because of proximity. Rumbles also persist that Lakers alumnus Byron Scott has an out in his contract with Cleveland should the opportunity to come home and coach L.A. arise, but Scott and the Cavs have steadfastly denied it.
Again, this is all just speculation on Stein’s part, but if Scott does have an out clause in his contract and he did use it to take the Lakers job, we’d really have to start questioning how Dan Gilbert is running the team.
After firing the most-successful coach in franchise history, and then flirting with certain disaster by courting Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Gilbert finally hired a veteran coach in Scott.
But why give Scott an option to get out of his contract? Was he such a must have coach that the Cavs had to give him the out, especially knowing the Jackson is closer to the end of his coaching career than the beginning?
Gilbert gets a bit of a free ride in this town because he bought the team just as LeBron was maturing and he’s willing to spend money, albeit in a sport with the smallest roster size of the three major sports.
People will always criticize the Dolans because they won’t have a $200 million payroll with the Indians, and Randy Lerner because he doesn’t sit behind a desk in Berea every day.
But what if it turns out Gilbert is really the one we should be worried about?
(h/t to Waiting for Next Year)
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It’s probably a good thing the Cavs have only 14 games left in the season, especially after a knife-wielding man had to be subdued by police at the Staples Center because Cleveland’s game with the L.A. Clippers.
No confirmation on whether the man was a season-ticket holder just looking to get his money back.
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We already knew Lonnie Chisenhall was not going to be the Indians Opening Day third baseman. Now it turns out Jason Donald won’t be either.
Turns out what the Tribe thought was a bone bruise is actually a cracked bone at the base of Donald’s left middle finger.
“It’s disappointing, but I’m looking at it as just a bump in the road,” Donald told The Plain Dealer. “I want to get the hand healthy and strong for the season.”
Manager Manny Acta said Jack Hannahan, Luis Valbuena and Jayson Nix are candidates for the third base job. The Indians don’t think prospect Cord Phelps, who is still in camp, is ready. Adam Everett is being viewed as a utility infielder, not an every day starter.
Indian fever, baby. Catch it!
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It’s probably a good thing the Browns don’t let fans bring flares into Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Of course, seeing Hines Ward lit up like this does have it’s charms.
Red Right 88 