Frank Vogel fired by Lakers following losing season
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel part ways with the team after missing the playoffs this season.
On Monday, April 11, 2022, The Los Angeles Lakers fired their head coach Frank Vogel after missing the playoffs with a 33-49 record and 11th in the NBA Western Conference.
Vogel’s departure was a matter anticipated by NBA and Lakers fans with how he handled the latest constructed roster for the 2021-22 season.`
During the season, the Lakers’ defense and offense were disappointing because of the lineup Vogel had under his coaching.
Vogel would use lineups with different players and their styles of play clashing on the court. For example, Vogel would use Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo, who was eventually traded to the Cleveland Cavilers in a three-way trade, on the same court with both players being playmakers as well as poor shooters.
Another aspect the Lakers’ head coach had with his lineups is how Vogel uses his big men in them. The big-men lineups would use Anthony Davis, DeAndre Jordan, or Dwight Howard. At times, Vogel would switch into a small-ball lineup against talented big men like Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic, which would give up offensive and defensive rebounds.
Despite Vogel’s contentious lineups, he had a tough time not having any depth in the roster, especially with their big men. Considering Davis’ injuries and Jordan getting waived, Vogel didn’t have much to work on creating a sustainable lineup that could defend the interior.
The constant changes with having an established lineup for each NBA game would create rhythm, familiarity, and identity issues. It was a matter, Vogel could have done better during the season by trying to find a consistent lineup.
The lineup resulted in the Lakers being ranked 23rd in offensive rating (110.3) as well as 21st in defensive rating (113.3).
Vogel’s relationship with Westbrook was a matter that led to the head coach’s firing.
There were tensions between the player and coach with Westbrook not having the offense running through him as well as not giving a “fair chance” to be a great asset to the Lakers.
The biggest concern to the relationship was the moment when Vogel benched Westbrook in the final four minutes against the New York Knicks on Feb. 6, 2022. This decision was discussed between Vogel and his coaching staff, and Westbrook told the media that Vogel “didn’t tell me”.
In a Lakers exit press conference, Westbrook discussed his relationship with Vogel
As for the reactions to the Vogel firing, it had a lot of criticism for how the Lakers handled it with how the season turned out.
Sports analysis from ESPN and other sports networks would give their thoughts on the firing.
The combination of roster issues, the questionable lineups, and Vogel’s relationship with Westbrook led to him being labeled as the “scapegoat” for the Lakers.
There were more problems with the Lakers now with roster moves as well as the team finding a new head coach to replace Vogel.
The Lakers are currently in a coaching search with candidates from Mark Jackson to Nick Nurse being rumored as the new head coach.
It’s going to be a long offseason for the Lakers to improve for next season as the NBA offseason continues.
