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Feb 25, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel reacts on the sideline in the first half of the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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Feb 25, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel reacts on the sideline in the first half of the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers season is finally over. And along with that head coach Frank Vogel seems to be out of a job as well. Many had expected the Lakers to sack Vogel in the middle of the season as well, but the front office gave him an opportunity till the end of the season. And now with the Lakers out of the play-ins, it seems like the front office is done with Vogel.
Adrian Wojnarowski, on his official Twitter handle, confirmed that the Lakers will let go of Vogel on Monday and Friday night’s game will be his last in charge. Several other sources have also confirmed this.
Frank Vogel has coached his final game for the Lakers, a decision that’s expected to be shared with him as soon as Monday, sources tell ESPN. Lakers’ search expected to be lengthy and expansive with no clear initial frontrunner.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 11, 2022
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The Lakers will reportedly start a lengthy and expansive search for the job and there are no front runners as of now. And when asked about the reports, Vogel was not happy.
During his post-game media availability, he said, “I haven’t been told sh*t and I’m going to enjoy tonight’s game, celebrate what these young guys did in terms of scratching and clawing and getting back in this game and getting a W, and we’ll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow.” [H/T ESPN]
How did Frank Vogel lose his job as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers?
Despite last year’s disappointing playoff exit, Vogel was not criticized as much for the loss. He did not have Anthony Davis in the playoffs and half of the regular season as well. Moreover, LeBron James also missed a considerable amount of time. So when the two best players miss so many games, it is hard for anyone to expect a win.
But this season, he had Russell Westbrook as well. Westbrook is a dynamic player, and he needed to play under a system that maximizes his efforts along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
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However, Davis missed more than half a season again and this hampered the chemistry of the squad as well. Vogel was also a defensive-minded coach, and it did not help when the Lakers were atrocious defensively.
Read More: NBA Fans Stunned As Knicks and Two Other Teams Linked With Russell Westbrook
There were also rumors that Westbrook and Vogel were not meeting eye to eye. Vogel had benched Russ in the fourth quarter of several games, and this did not go well with Westbrook.
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After the all-star break, the Lakers were one of the worst teams in the league. They slipped from the 7th spot to the 11th spot in a span of a month. And they got bounced out of the play-in tournament. This was the final nail in the coffin as the Lakers decided to sack Vogel at the end of the season. Vogel will be a front runner for other jobs in the league as he is still one of the best defensive coaches in the league and he won a title in 2020.
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