Lakers' Scott on benching Nick Young: 'It looked to me that he didn't want to be here'
Nick Young's entertainment value has been a welcome distraction for L.A. basketball fans over the last two miserable Los Angeles Lakers seasons, but Byron Scott has his limits with the self-proclaimed Swaggy P.
After missing two shots and being held scoreless in eight first-half minutes against the Houston Rockets on Sunday, Young was benched for the second half. The flamboyant swingman then left without speaking to the media, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes.
Scott said the decision was made at halftime.
"It looked to me that he didn't want to be here," Scott said.
"At halftime, we showed stuff on the tape where he was guarding (Houston swingman Corey Brewer) in the corner. I asked (Young), 'What were you thinking on his play?' The answer he gave me, I couldn't figure it out," Scott added.
"So I just felt with his body language that he didn't want to play tonight, so I chose not to play him."
Young is averaging 14.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and one assist on a career-low Effective Field Goal Percentage of 46.3 for the 12-33 Lakers.