It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers have had an up-and-down first half of their season, currently sitting at 22-22.
There has been a number of reasons for that, whether it be injuries, the front office building a flawed roster, the coaching staff failing to adjust to that flawed roster and the players often lacking effort.
Despite all of those factors contributing to the Lakers’ poor record, it seems that head coach Frank Vogel may ultimately be the one that pays for it. According to Sam Amick and Bill Oram of The Athletic, Vogel is currently on the hot seat and could get fired at any time if the Lakers’ play doesn’t improve:
By the time the Lakers and Jazz tipped off on Monday night, sources said, Vogel was coaching for his job after he narrowly avoided being fired in the wake of the 37-point loss in Denver 48 hours earlier. Had a scene like that repeated itself against the Jazz, many believed it would have been Vogel’s last game.
Vogel, who coached the Lakers to a championship in 2020 and whose contract runs through the 2022-23 campaign, is being evaluated on a game-to-game basis and remains at risk of being fired soon if the progress doesn’t continue, sources said. It’s unclear how much Monday’s win relieved the pressure that surrounds him.
If the Lakers players want to save Vogel’s job then they got off to a good start on Monday night. After suffering three straight losses in blowout fashion and having their effort called out, the Lakers responded with their best win over the season over the Utah Jazz.
While that is a good start, the Lakers still have a long way to go if they want to turn things around. Speaking before the Jazz game, Vogel made sure to note that, as well as how tirelessly the coaching staff has been working to make it happen.
“We got to sustain the work. We put in the work every day. Our coaching staff works tirelessly both in analyzing our postgame, meeting with our players individually to show them ways they have to be better. Reinforce ways that they were great and they work tirelessly in putting together game plans and the game plans the margin for error is more slim,” Vogel said.
“We got to be tight with all these coverages that go into it and we know how to build an elite defense. It hasn’t taken form quite yet with this group, but the work is still being put in, and when you work at something you are going to improve.”
Vogel making sure to note that the coaching staff is working hard probably ensures that he is aware he’s coaching for his job.
Whether or not it’s fair to blame Vogel for all of the Lakers’ struggles is up for interpretation, but it seems that he will be the fall guy if things don’t turn around quickly in L.A.
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