D'Angelo Russell was selected second overall by the Lakers in 2015, which typically means he'll get a chance for plenty of minutes in his first season. That wasn't the case, though. Instead, the coach at the time, Byron Scott, held the rookie out for much of the season while constantly criticizing him in the media.

Well, a year removed from being the coach in Los Angeles, Scott still has some concerns about the young player. Speaking to The Orange County Register, Scott says he doesn't regret how he handled the young player and explained his reasoning. 

"Given that opportunity again, I wouldn’t change anything, especially my approach," he said about handling Russell and forward Julius Randle. "I would do the same thing. I still felt like the job was given to them. I don’t have a problem with young guys growing, understanding and developing in that (starting) role, but I do have a problem when they don’t cherish it, when they don’t hold it to a higher standard, when they don’t come ready to work."

Scott continued by saying Randle eventually began developing like he should. Russell on the other hand, didn't, at least according to Scott. The former coach said his point guard would show up to the Lakers' facility just a few minutes before practice started, and questioned how he approached the game.

“I don’t know if his work ethic has gotten any better. Some of the people I’ve talked to in the organization said that it hasn’t. I just wish him all the best. The maturity level will catch up to him sooner or later when he realizes it’s an honor and a privilege to be in the NBA and be in the position that he’s in. He has to take full advantage of it.”

While Scott says he's heard Russell hasn't improved, current head coach Luke Walton has praised the guard in the media. And while Russell didn't mention Scott by name, he had some words for people who questioned his work ethic: "The people that say that about me don’t really matter."