Lakers: Frank Vogel Expected to Be Fired After This Season
Let's be honest, it's a little bit of a surprise that Frank Vogel has made it this far into the season. But based on the number of injuries and bad luck, the Lakers do want to see him finish out the season in Los Angeles. And that makes sense, given that there are really no better options out there at the moment.
But regardless of whether or not he makes it through, don't expect Vogel to keep his job beyond this year. The latest report from The Athletic's Sam Amick and Bill Oram suggests that it would take a miracle for him to be the Lakers coach next year. That miracle would need to be a deep playoff run.
Unfortuantely for Vogel, that doesn't seem very likely with this team.
"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."
In all fairness to Vogel, he played the hand he was dealt this year. The Lakers assembled an aging roster that was supposed to be highlighted by LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.
We know the Westbrook experiment just hasn't worked out. But LeBron missed a handful of games with various injuries, and AD is going to miss most of the season by the time he returns from a mid-foot sprain.
He simply has not had the pieces all year to get the job done. The Lakers have essentially no bench depth, and their age has really hurt them in the second half of the season. So while all of the blame probably shouldn't go onto Vogel, he's going to lose his job.
