Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott had a message for their power forward, Julius Randle after being seen upset at being taken out late in his team's easy win against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
After the Lakers practice at their facility on Monday, Scott said, "He's got to grow up, simple as that," as reported by ESPN.
Scott added, "I think the main thing I don't like is, when you take him out of a game, how he acts sometimes. But again, I chalk it up to immaturity and just being inexperienced at this level because it's going to happen again. I'm going to take him out of other games that he's not going to like."
Scott singled Randle out because of his poor defense in the Lakers' 97-77 win against the Suns. Randle left without talking to the reporters at the end of the game.
"I don't think there was defense on the court at all in the fourth quarter, and he singled me out," Randle said Monday after practice. "I think it was a team thing."
Randle was mad about his limited time while playing against the visiting Suns.
According to Fox Sports, this is just another case of Scott's growing contentious relationship with the Lakers' two young players.
Both Randle and rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell did not take well to their bench last month. Randle seems to have a hard time accepting his role as a reserve for rookie forward Larry Nance Jr.
Scott said that he does not have the patience to establish young players this season, even though it is clear that the Lakers are not a playoff team and have no way to return to the postseason without developing and boasting their impressive young talent.
However, while Randle and Russell have improved their effort and play off the bench, both have not returned to the starting lineup, and Scott said it could take a while.
