The Los Angeles Lakers had their fair share of skeptics before the season even began, but most doubts were about the roster construction, questioning their age and durability. For their part, the organization signed head coach Frank Vogel to a contract extension in August. The added year puts Vogel under contract as the Lakers coach through the 2022-23 NBA season.
With the Lakers off to a rough start, below .500 at 10-11, in seventh place in the Western Conference, reports are indicating that Vogel is on the hot seat in LA. Vogel is known for his defensive concepts, that’s what he brings to the table.
Frank Vogel, Lakers roster has led to early struggles
Looking at the Lakers, they rank second-to-last in the league, allowing 114.5 points per game. Sure, playing five overtime games, including Friday’s triple-OT loss to the Sacramento Kings, won’t help their numbers.
The bigger point, even when they do have a healthy LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook on the floor, the Lakers don’t look anything close to a championship contender. And maybe that’s because LBJ is known for amping things up come playoff time, but they should at least aim for a top-four seed to seek home-court advantage.
Right now, they’re on the verge of having to play even more games, qualifying for the play-in tournament, which James has voiced his strong displeasure for in the past.
If the Lakers stay on track for a play-in spot instead of a playoff spot, they need to make major changes. Whether that comes in the form of a trade before Vogel sees the door remains to be seen. For now, the Lakers hope to start playing with more consistency.
The Lakers play the Kings a second time on Tuesday, Nov. 30 and if they lose again to a team that just fired its head coach, you never know, Vogel just might find himself looking for a new job very soon. As far as the Lakers are concerned, rumor has it, Luke Walton is available.