I've got the same basic concern about Byron Scott that everyone does -- he's got a reputation for burying players who get in his dog house never to be heard from again. Some of that is understandable when you watch JR Smith though. George Karl looks like he doesn't know whether to hug him or strangle him half the time. Over his career mid to late round rookie picks have had a tough time finding minutes with him. The top guys though - Chris Paul and Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson - have always got a chance to play right away. He seems to really value basketball IQ over athleticism. Whoever we pick first in this draft will likely have a big role right away. (Which, on a side note, makes me think Rubio would be the ideal choice if we do end up hiring Byron Scott-- he's a playmaker with a high basketball IQ which should endear him right away.)
I think if you look at what he's done as a head coach, he inherited a terrible team in New Jersey and a terrible team in New Orleans and both of those teams got turned around quickly. He took New Jersey to the Finals twice with just Jason Kidd and a bunch of role players. Granted that was one of the all-time low periods for the Eastern Conference, but I still don't think New Jersey had the most talented team in the conference either of those years. Then he inherited New Orleans fresh off a Baron Davis fire-sale and got them back into the playoffs faster than anyone expected. Our team this year is in a similar situation to both his previous jobs -- terrible season, veteran fire-sale, top pick in the draft. He seems like a good bet turn it around. He's done it twice before.
Adding to that, I think it's hard to say he doesn't develop young players when Kenyon Martin, Chris Paul, and David West all became first time All-Stars under him. Richard Jefferson wasn't an All-Star but he was close. Tyson Chandler was close too until his injury problems this year. That's a lot of success with young players. Sure most of those guys were picked very high in the draft, but a lot of other high-profile prospects have failed in different situations. That's got to count for something.
And the biggest thing for me is what his players think of him. If the players want the coach to stay, then they know he's helping them. People talk a lot about how tough Popovich and Sloan are, but the key with those guys is that the players respect them and look up to them because they know that the right coach can make them a better player. I'm not clear on the circumstances of Byron Scott's firing in New Jersey. I just remember hearing that Jason Kidd wanted him out (power struggle?). It's been reported that the players in New Orleans want him back.
This article about Kenyon Martin's opinion is encouraging.
I think out of all the names that have come up, Byron Scott is by far the best option for this team right now. He's not going to be cheap, but you know with him you're getting an NBA coach.
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