Lakers head coach Frank Vogel could be in the hot seat.
According to Bill Oram and Sam Amick of The Athletic, Vogel was “training for his job” by the time the Lakers v Jazz game ended on Monday, January 17.
The Lakers had lost to the Nuggets by 37 points a few days earlier. Oram and Amick added that “there is such a scene that repeats itself during the match against Jazz, which many believe will be Vogel’s last game.”
Led by LeBron James, the Lakers beat the Jazz with a final score of 101-95.
Vogel is currently being evaluated on a game-by-game basis.
Going into Wednesday night’s game against the Pacers, Vogel spoke about speculation.
“I don’t feel like I’m under siege,” Vogel said. “It comes with territory, that comes with being a Lakers coach. We have high expectations. This fan base really cares. It’s a huge market and I wouldn’t want it. in any other way, to be honest with you. I want people to care, I want people to want the best and command excellence in our team. That’s what we command ourselves; that’s just is its way.”
With only 15 months out of the NBA championship, is it fair that he could lose his job?
“It really doesn’t depend on me, whether it’s fair or not,” Vogel said.
Why is Lakers head coach Frank Vogel supposed to coach for his job?
After losing to the Suns in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers went through some big changes for the season, notably swapping a lot of their depth for Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster deal. They go into the season with the highest odds to win the championship, but they’re just hovering around .500 halfway through the season.
While they have faced a number of injuries – James was absent at the start of the season and Anthony Davis has been out for a long time with a sprained MCL, most notably – “the decision-makers Organization decisions are closely monitoring the key question of whether Vogel is still in command of the locker room,” Report by Oram and Amick.
NBA insider Marc Stein mentioned that he’s also heard Vogel’s job is being “seriously threatened.”
May add I’ve sounded like @billoram and @sam_amick: Frank Vogel’s job is in serious jeopardy… it’s ridiculous that it sounds like he’s holding him accountable for an ill-fitting and aging roster, the absence of Anthony Davis, etc.
More on the Lakers coming from me: https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP
– Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 18, 2022
The Lakers improved to 22-22 with a win over the Jazz, placing them seventh in the Western Conference standings. They are 24th in offensive efficiency, 18th in defensive efficiency, and 23rd in net stats.
Entering the team’s game against the Jazz, James took to Twitter to apologize to the Laker Nation, promising “we’ll be better.”
James’ tweet comes after Lakers legend Magic Johnson criticized the team’s efforts in the heavy loss to the Nuggets.
After being blown away by Nuggets 133-96, we @Lakers fans can accept being outplayed but we deserved more for the lack of effort and no sense of urgency. Owner @JeanieBuss, you deserve better.
– Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 16, 2022
The Lakers return to action on Wednesday when they host the Pacers. They will then hit the road for six games in a row that will see them face off against the Magic, Heat, Nets, 76ers, Hornet and Hawks.
The Lakers are currently 15-11 at home and 7-11 on the road.
How long is Frank Vogel’s contract with the Lakers?
On August 6, 2021, the Lakers announced that they had agreed to a contract extension with Vogel. According to Oram and Amick, just a one-year extension will get him through the 2022-23 season.
Vogel has been the Lakers head coach since the 2019-20 season. He led them to the championship in 2020, the first time in the franchise in a decade.
Who is the Lakers assistant coach?
The Lakers have six assistant coaches listed on their roster: David Fizdale, Phil Handy, Mike Penberthy, Miles Simon, Quinton Crawford and John Lucas III. If Vogel is fired, there is still no word on whether/who of them will replace him, even on an interim basis.
