Byron Scott had to clarify that the Lakers aren’t tanking

The Los Angeles Lakers have been so bad this year – and some of Byron Scott’s coaching moves so befuddling – that he had to clarify that the team isn’t tanking.

The Lakers actually have some reason to tank. Their first round draft pick in the 2016 Draft is top three protected and would go to Philadelphia if it ends up at four or later. Scott was originally unhappy with a question as to whether he was trying to optimize the team’s chances of keeping the pick, but eventually blasted that logic.

“You can’t try to lose basketball games,” Scott said, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “That’s a bad way to present to our team that we’re trying to lose so we can protect the top three pick. That’s a bad omen to me. We didn’t try to do that last year [when the Lakers’ pick was top five protected].

“It sets a bad precedent to me, especially to this organization and people who have been in this organization for a long time,” Scott said. “We’ve never been like that and never will be. I never even behind closed doors tell my players, tell my coaches, tell the trainers or anybody that we’re trying to lose games on purpose to protect the pick. That’s not my nature.”

Scott did admit that the Lakers probably won’t win a ton before the end of the season, but it won’t be for lack of effort.

“We’re going to go out and still try to win every game to the best of our ability,” Scott said. “Now are we going to do that? Probably not. But we’ll at least give it our best shot. I’m not coaching looking at the clock thinking, ‘If they could just turn it over a few more times and miss a few more shots, this game is in the bag as far as a loss is concerned.’ That’s not me.”

Scott inexplicably ran Kobe Bryant into the ground early in the season and has repeatedly been publicly critical of second overall pick D’Angelo Russell, and fans have been vocal in their disapproval of the job he’s done coaching. It’s not because he’s tanking, though – it’s just his way.