Byron Scott wants Lakers to stop deferring to Kobe Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers' winless start to the season has head coach Byron Scott searching for answers.

In speaking to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, Scott revealed that he told his squad to stop deferring so much to Kobe Bryant.

I think there was a timeout last game where I pointed at Kobe and I said, 'I know how great this guy is, but you guys have got to play basketball. You can't look at him every single time and try to give him the ball. You've got to take shots that are there. You can't pass up shots.'

They can't be afraid to fail. That's the biggest thing. You've just got to be able to go out there and play.

Scott's comments came on the heels of Tuesday's loss to the Phoenix Suns, L.A.'s fifth straight to open the season. Bryant attempted 37 of the Lakers' 88 shots during the game, connecting on just 14. He managed to score 39 points in the process, but posted a true shooting percentage nearly 10 points below the league average.

It's a give and take with Bryant. He carries a well-known reputation for hogging the ball, but there also isn't a wealth of talent on the Lakers at the moment. More players have to step up and get involved in the attack, but Bryant still remains the Lakers' most potent weapon.

However, despite Bryant's league-leading scoring output, he's clearly being overworked offensively. Bryant's usage rate is tops in the league at 38.6 percent, yet he's connecting on just 40.2 percent of his field-goal attempts, resulting in quite an unsightly shot chart.

(Courtesy: NBA.com)