Russell Westbrook and Frank Vogel did not have the best relationship during Westbrook’s season in LA. The Lakers were extremely disappointing last year, missing out on the playoffs altogether. Westbrook was a big part of why the Lakers missed the playoffs.
And as a result of their disappointing season, Frank Vogel was fired. And yesterday, it was reported that Frank Vogel was fired from his job as head coach of the Lakers because he wasn’t able to get the best out of Russell Westbrook.
This news did not go down well with a lot of NBA fans, who feel that Vogel was scapegoated for Westbrook’s inability to adapt to the Lakers and their style of play.
One NBA took to Twitter to share a video of Westbrook’s lowlights from the season, which included him missing open jump shots and making poor plays regularly. The fan asked what Frank Vogel could or would have done to make Westbrook play better.
pls tell me how this was Frank Vogel’s fault… https://t.co/Nme9qNrOk5 pic.twitter.com/bd3iSsXlPk
— Greg Di Scala (@Greg_DiScala) May 5, 2022
Westbrook clearly did not ingratiate himself to the Laker fanbase with his play. Westbrook, a former MVP, looked like a shell of himself, losing his explosive scoring ability and his ability to take over games. Perhaps not having the ball in his hands significantly took away from his game.
But for Frank Vogel, with LeBron James on his team, there was no better option to run the offense through for the team. Westbrook is a player who massively relies on his confidence for his play, and when Vogel took the ball-handling responsibilities away from him, that affected his confidence massively.
The future of Westbrook in LA is far from settled. Most fans would want Westbrook to be traded to a different team.
But considering Westbrook has a massive player option, it will be extremely difficult for the Los Angeles Lakers to find a team willing to take his contract, and even more so without the Lakers having to part ways with their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks.
