NBA Rumors: Coach Frank Vogel Says L.A. Lakers Hired The ‘Right Guy’ To Replace Luke Walton
After suffering a huge disappointment in LeBron James’ first season wearing the Purple and Gold, the Los Angeles Lakers decided to make huge changes not only with their roster but also with their front office and coaching staffs. A few days after Magic Johnson resigned as president of basketball operations, the Lakers fired Luke Walton as their head coach. After parting ways with Walton, the Lakers immediately started the search for their new head coach where they ended up hiring Frank Vogel.
Coach Frank Vogel is definitely aware of how tough the task that he is currently in front of him, especially knowing that he will be mentoring the Lakers’ team that has two of the best active players – LeBron James and Anthony Davis – on their roster. However, Vogel is very optimistic that he can get the job done in Los Angeles. In an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Vogel revealed that unlike Luke Walton, he currently has the full support of the Lakers’ front office.
“I really do,” Vogel said. “I’ve established a great relationship so far with Rob Pelinka, Kurt Rambis, Jeanie Buss, the entire front office. I think we’ve really hit the ground running. Obviously, this is a performance industry that we’re in, especially in terms of coaching, but I feel like they’ve settled on the right guy. I feel like they’re happy with their choice for coach and the relationship in terms of us being aligned and working together to build this team up to this point, it couldn’t be stronger. I anticipate that that will be the case going into the season.”
Lakers' Frank Vogel says LeBron James has always supported him: 'He has always shown me respect'https://t.co/CjZEEI3DR3 pic.twitter.com/7eOBS9nBca
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) July 25, 2019
It’s definitely a good thing for Coach Frank Vogel to have the trust of the Lakers’ bosses, including General Manager Rob Pelinka and team owner Jeanie Buss. However, his future with the Lakers will still depend on their performance in the 2019-20 NBA season where they are currently emerging as one of the heavy favorites to win the NBA championship title.
Compared to the group that Luke Walton mentored in the past two years, Frank Vogel will be coaching a roster that has a legitimate chance of bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy next season. The Lakers may have failed to add a third superstar in the 2019 NBA free agency, but they still managed to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with a quality supporting cast this summer.
After failing to acquire Kawhi Leonard, the Lakers decided to use their salary cap space to sign DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Jared Dudley, Avery Bradley, Quinn Cook, and Troy Daniels. They also brought back some of their own free agents like JaVale McGee, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, and Alex Caruso.
As of now, Coach Frank Vogel and his coaching staffs should focus on finding a way to maximize the current talents on their roster and make sure that their newest acquisitions will fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis next season.
