When a team has a season as poor as the Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of holding NBA title hopes, you can be sure that there will eventually be changes. For Los Angeles, there could be wholesale ones.
A lot of the time people will focus on the changes that could come to the roster. There is no denying that this current Los Angeles Lakers roster is a mismatched one that likely won’t do much damage in the postseason. That leads some to believe the people who put that roster together will likely be on the chopping block as well.
Many will say this is a team that LeBron James put together, but Rob Pelinka will shoulder the brunt of the blame. There have been rumors that he could be on his way out given how poorly the trade for Russell Westbrook panned out.
The only person with less job security within the organization than Pelinka could be head coach Frank Vogel. It was reported earlier in the season that Vogel was coaching for his job on a nightly basis and that he could be fired at any time.
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There have been some ugly performances since that was reported and Frank Vogel has remained in his position. Alas, it does sound like his time as the team’s head coach could be coming to an end barring an unforeseen run occurring. According to The Athletic, Vogel is as good as gone unless the team makes a deep run into the playoffs.
“With one season left on his deal, all signs point to him being replaced in the summer unless there is, in fact, a stunning playoff run in their future,” Sam Amick and Bill Oram of The Athletic reported.
A source noted that advancing to at least the second round of the playoffs “would greatly improve his chances” of keeping his job.”
Frank Vogel wasn’t the team’s first choice last time, but things worked out as he helped guide them to a title in his first season on the sidelines. Retaining lame-duck coaches, who are ones with an expiring deal, is rare. Given his contract status and the performance of the team this season, all signs are pointing toward a change being made at the conclusion of the season.
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Coaching the Lakers, especially with LeBron James on the roster, comes with outrageously high expectations. Even with the team struggling mightily, this is a franchise that will expect to be competing for titles again as soon as next season.
While that kind of pressure isn’t for everyone, this is still a marquee job no matter the current state of the roster. Being head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers is a glamorous position for anyone to be in and it will draw a lot of attention despite the job security not being as secure as it would be with other teams in the NBA.
