The Los Angeles Lakers are in a tumultuous spot at this moment, with the season not going according to expectations. While their roster construction has been blamed for their lack of wins, coach Frank Vogel has also come under major scrutiny, with reports emerging over the last week that his job was under serious jeopardy.
However, the latest update from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne states that the Lakers have decided against replacing Vogel as their coach. Shelburne cites sources within the organization who claim that this decision is taken because they don’t believe a coaching change will be able to improve results on the court.
“A series of listless losses throughout the season have put the onus on Vogel at several points, most recently last week when the team contemplated whether a midseason change could jump-start the team. Ultimately, the Lakers decided against replacing Vogel, for the time being at least, multiple sources said, because no one believes changing the coach will yield dramatically different results.”
“It’s not like [Westbrook’s] a tradable player where if it’s not working out you just move on; everybody in the NBA knows that,” one team source said. “So it’s got to work. This is the only option. There is no Plan B for this season.”
Russell Westbrook played well against the Miami Heat in the Lakers’ latest game but it still resulted in a loss. The point guard had 24 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 9 assists, a better performance than any he had managed in the 3 games before that. The speculation about Vogel’s job started after he benched Westbrook in the clutch against the Indiana Pacers earlier in the week.
The noises about Westbrook being traded have also amplified in recent times, with a possible deal with the Houston Rockets involving John Wall being seen as the most realistic option. Anthony Davis is due to return on Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets though, so it seems like the Lakers will be living with some uncertainty unless AD’s return can spark a run for them.
