Official Los Angeles Lakers 2015 roster has been submitted to the NBA and while many fans of the Purple and Gold are happy Metta World Peace is officially in, coach Byron Scott said he made a decision to let one player go.
The last one spot in Los Angeles Lakers line up went down between Metta and undrafted shooting guard Jabari Brown. Although the former Defensive Player of the Year seems a safe choice, Scott said the task of selecting who will stay and who will go was hard.
"It was a very, very, very, extremely difficult decision," the 54-year old coach said after practice on Monday. "It was about trying to balance the youth and experience on this team. Obviously Metta has that experience."
Scott had a hard time trimming down Los Angeles Lakers 2015 roster but just like him, Metta World Peace had a hard time undergoing such process.
"It's harder than what people think," said World Peace who joined the team's training camp last month and even served as mentor to younger guys like Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance. "It wasn't easy being a vet and trying to get back into the league."
Now that he is officially back in the league, the 15-year veteran wants to focus on the real job - to win a championship for Los Angeles Lakers.
"My goals didn't change from the first day I signed my non guaranteed contract," he added. "I wanted to come here and try to win a championship. My goals didn't change. So there's nothing to feel."
World Peace's $1.5 million deal will not become guaranteed unless he stays on the roster past Jan. 10, 2016. Still, if things don't go well for him, he will get another spot in Lakers franchise.
"World Peace's return to the Lakers includes a long-term plan to transition into an assistant coach for the franchise, league sources told Yahoo," wrote Shams Charania in his article posted on Oct. 26.
"He has been a mentor for several young Lakers players, including 2014 No. 7 overall pick Julius Randle."
Will Metta World Peace stay long in Los Angeles Lakers 2015-16 NBA season roster?
