The Los Angeles Lakers are arguably the most disappointing team in the entire NBA this season. After a whirlwind 2021 offseason, the Lakers were expected by fans and experts alike to seriously challenge for an NBA title.
Now, with just a few games left in the regular season, the Lakers seem much more likely to miss the entire postseason.
In fact, if the season ended today, the Lakers would not even qualify to participate in the play-in tournament.
As a result, the franchise is expected to part ways with head coach Frank Vogel following the conclusion of this season.
“Now, as the finish line for this tumultuous 2021-22 campaign mercifully arrives, the Lakers are still expected to part ways with embattled play-caller Frank Vogel, sources told B/R, and the anticipated vacancy on Los Angeles’ bench has produced no shortage of potential candidates linked to fill the position,” Jake Fischer wrote.
For Lakers fans, this report is definitely not shocking at all. First off, this is not the first time that Vogel’s staying power with the team has been brought into question. Beyond that, Vogel has been unable to find a consistently good lineup to stick with.
It’s been a tough season for the L.A. faithful, and while there is ample blame to go around, it cannot be denied that Vogel has not stepped up to the challenge.
Right now, the Lakers sit at 31-47 on the season. They currently hold the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference and are two games back from the No. 10 seed, which is the final spot in the play-in tournament.
Of course, if the Lakers managed to make the play-in tournament and advance deeply into the playoffs, Vogel’s future with the team could be reconsidered. However, with the way things are right now, that seems highly unlikely.
