The Los Angeles Lakers had one of the most embarrassing seasons in NBA history.
After failing to make the postseason despite having a talented roster, one executive speculated to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that changes in the front office could be imminent if the Lakers don’t experience success next season:
“Frank was definitely the scapegoat,” said the executive. “One more year for that front office, and if the results don’t drastically improve, they could be in line for some more changes”
The team missed the playoffs by a long shot. It ended the season with the No. 11 slot in the Western Conference with a terrible 33-49 record.
To make matters worse, the team made head coach Frank Vogel the scapegoat for its failures. The team fired him following the conclusion of its campaign, though reports slipped out early that he would be terminated. Vogel was not happy with the news leaking early.
Numerous people lashed out at the Lakers for making Vogel the fall guy. In fact, Lakers icon Shaquille O’Neal thrashed the organization for the way it handled the 2020 champion’s termination.
Vogel, 48, spent three full years as the head coach of the Lakers, accumulating a 127-98 record in the regular season and 18-9 record in the postseason. Of course, his chief accomplishment was guiding the Lakers to a title in the NBA bubble in 2020.
Now, the attention turns to the Lakers’ front office with Rob Pelinka at the helm. Time is running out on his contract in Los Angeles.
The architect must figure out what to do with superstar Russell Westbrook, whose fit on the Lakers’ has been atrocious and who has a huge player option for next season. Furthermore, scouts and executives around the league reportedly don’t view the guard as a useful player anymore.
