In Frank Vogel’s first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, he was able to lead the team to an NBA championship in the Orlando Bubble. It was a huge moment for the Lakers as they were the first team to win a title in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was also the first year in which LeBron James and Anthony Davis were teammates.
For the most part, Vogel’s tenure in L.A. was looking promising, although that sort of changed this past season as the Lakers struggled down the stretch due to some injuries. While it was believed that Vogel was well on his way towards an extension, it is now being reported by reporter Marc Stein that sources around the league believe Vogel could be left by the wayside if the Lakers don’t have a hot start this season.
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Per Stein:
“An extension was widely considered an inevitability in league coaching circles once Vogel joined a list of nine active coaches with a ring on his résumé. Perhaps that extension is still coming, but there have been some increasingly pessimistic rumbles in circulation about Vogel’s prospects for a new deal or anything longer than a one-year extension.”
LeBron can be very particular when it comes to his head coaches, and as we’ve seen over the years, if LeBron doesn’t like the direction of the team, he can get changes made very quickly. Considering Vogel already has a title to his name, he certainly has more leeway, although that could evaporate if this new-look Lakers team lacks chemistry.
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[Via]