Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott is not expecting a quick turnaround in the 2014-15 NBA season but the veteran bench tactician is convinced that team will surprise a lot of people.

The Lakers are coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history after finishing with a 27-55 record last season. While most people are already counting them out next season, Scott is confident that they can silence their critics.

"We feel the same way about this roster that we have. We know a lot of people aren't going to give us a chance, but we feel we're going to surprise a lot of people," Scott said in an interview with NBA.com.

Scott, who replaced Mike D'Antoni this summer, added that the Lakers were inconsistent on the defensive end of the floor last season, stressing that defense will be the first thing that they will look to address in training camp.

While the Lakers have no well-known rim protector on their current roster, Scott said that there is a plan in place for the upcoming NBA season.

"We'll have a plan, but it will depend some on how guys play in training camp," Scott said. "With that said, we can't force everything defensively to (Jordan) Hill or (Carlos) Boozer, so we'll focus more on forcing guys to certain places and corral them instead of trying to block shots. What I see during the first few days of practice will make an impact there, so we can have an identity on that end of the floor."

And as for Kobe Bryant, Scott, who served as a mentor to the superstar during his rookie year, said that he already informed 16-time All-Star that the team will lean a lot on his veteran leadership next season.

"One thing I talked to him about was that I'm going to lean on him a lot," Scott said of Bryant. "His experience, his knowledge - that tenacity and drive he possesses is what I have, but he's on the floor and can feel and see a lot that I don't see from the sideline. I'd be stupid not to listen."

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