Rocio Robles
The first casualty resulting from the disappointing season of the Los Angeles Lakers in this edition of the NBA seems to be already clear among the media: Frank Vogel, the team’s head coach since 2019, is virtually out of the organization, with speculation that he will be sacked as soon as the league’s current season concludes.
After being officially eliminated from the play-in tournament earlier in the week, the Lakers sit in 11th place in the Western Conference thanks to a 31-49 record, giving up the ninth and tenth spots in the standings over the last two months of the regular season. With a lackluster performance and multiple absences from Anthony Davis and LeBron James, not to mention the roster’s unreliability, all signs lead to Vogel being the first pick to exit the draft.
Despite having three superstars (LeBron, Davis and Russell Westbrook) in addition to several free agency signings (Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk, to name a few) Vogel never found a starting lineup or rotation with which he felt entirely comfortable. This showed on the court, as no particular combination lasted long enough to be identified as the 48-year-old’s ”luxury five”.
One of the main responsible for the construction of the current staff of the Lakers, Rob Pelinka (vice-president of operations and general manager of the franchise) has reportedly avoided any drawbacks to his future at least until next year, as the organization plans to keep him for the next NBA season.
Possible replacements for Frank Vogel
Quin Snyder (current head coach of the Utah Jazz) and Doc Rivers (current head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers) are among the candidates that have been mentioned so far to replace Vogel when he is eventually relieved of his position. Snyder could leave Utah after the team’s poor performance in the second half of the season, while Doc River could leave in the event the Sixers exit the postseason early.
More details about the Lakers’ future are unknown so far, and, with the end of the regular season just around the corner, more information will slowly be revealed about possible changes heading into next season.
