After an underwhelming 2021-22 season, the Los Angeles Lakers made the move to part ways with former head coach Frank Vogel.
Vogel had come under fire throughout the year for how the Lakers looked on a nightly basis and he did not help himself with his constant lineup and rotation changes. However, Vogel did receive the short end of the stick as the roster construction was ill-fit for his coaching philosophy, an issue that was apparent before the season even began.
One player who will miss Vogel is Avery Bradley, who established himself as a regular in the rotation. Like the rest of the players, Bradley was saddened to hear the news but understood it is part of the NBA business.
“Receiving the news period, it’s unfortunate but it’s part of the business,” Bradley said. “It happens with players, it happens with coaches, it happens with staff members all the time. It’s just a part of the business. As you’re going through it, it’s challenging, but for me, I can say I put my faith in God so whenever I’m going through it, I just look at it as an opportunity and a situation that has prepared me for what’s next.”
Bradley had earned Vogel’s trust early on in their partnership and the veteran thinks it is because of their shared work ethic and underdog mentality.
“I don’t know, that’s a good question. I don’t know if it’s kind of like the underdog thing, kind of being the person that doesn’t always get all the credit but tried to work as hard as he can. We have a connection from Boston, that’s where he started, just like me, so I think that’s a lot of where we connected at, but I appreciate my time, not only two years ago having the opportunity to play for him but this year as well. I feel like he gave me a lot of perspective not only in the game of basketball but in life.”
Without Vogel on the sidelines, it will be interesting to see whether or not Bradley is interested in returning to Los Angeles. The guard was a steady presence on certain nights, so a reunion should not be out of the question for either side.
Doc Rivers not interested in Lakers head coaching position
The Lakers should have their fair share of options when it comes to replacing Vogel, and one name that was been popularly linked is Doc Rivers. Rivers is currently the head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he has already taken a hard stance that he will not be interviewing for the job after seeing how Vogel was treated on the way out.
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