The Los Angeles Lakers have sorely underachieved throughout the 2021-22 NBA season as they find themselves seven games below .500 with a 27-34 record.
Facing limitations in regards to how they can actually make changes, the simplest option for the Lakers would be to fire coach Frank Vogel to see if it can be a spark for the team to buy in and turn things around.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Frank Vogel’s job security with the Lakers “has been in question since he was awarded a one-year contract extension” and on top of that, “few coaching figures hold optimism” Vogel will still be the Lakers’ head coach in 2022-23.
“Vogel’s job security has been in question since he was awarded a one-year contract extension in August, just a year after leading the Lakers to a championship. In January, Vogel’s job was reportedly in jeopardy, and he continues to endure rampant speculation. Few coaching figures hold optimism Vogel will still be manning the Lakers sideline come 2022-23.”
Fischer also reported that Jason Kidd and Tyronn Lue have previously been linked as “preferred candidates’ but both are now experiencing success in head coaching roles with teams in the Western Conference with a better regular-season record.
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“The whispers have been quiet on who could serve as Los Angeles’ next play-caller. Previous preferred candidates such as Tyronn Lue and Jason Kidd have found success with the Clippers and Mavericks, respectively, and the only word in coaching circles so far is the Lakers will likely prioritize finding an experienced coach rather than a first-timer for the job. That calculus would seem to align with Los Angeles’ never-ending title quest around James.”
It will be fascinating to see the action the Lakers take in an effort to salvage having LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster together. They are light on quality complementary talents and need to move on from Russell Westbrook but lack much for assets to accomplish all of that.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have no time to waste at this point. LeBron James has sparked controversy with his comments at NBA All-Star Weekend (that he has since walked back) and the losses continue to pile up as the team waits for Anthony Davis to get healthy and for Russell Westbrook to produce.
