After failing to reach the NBA's postseason since the 2012-13 season, the Los Angeles Lakers will make it back to the playoffs in 2020. And that's due in large part to star forward LeBron James, who should be the league's Most Valuable Player, according to first-year head coach Frank Vogel.
Per USA Today's Mark Medina:
Lakers coach Frank Vogel on how LeBron James should win regular season MVP. Vogel understandably did not want to analyze Giannisā body of work, but lots of praise here for the case for LeBron pic.twitter.com/79k3DmMq4s
ā Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 5, 2020
Vogel, 46, made the case for the three-time NBA champion James, praising the amount of work the 35-year-old puts in to carry the Lakers. Vogel also made sure to mention LeBron leading the NBA in assists (10.7 per game) and the amount of winning L.A. continues to do.
The Lakers lead the Western Conference and have nearly clinched the playoffs. The current outlook is Los Angeles earning the No. 1 seed in the West and facing the upstart Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the postseason. The Grizzlies are led by another end-of-season award pursuer in first-year point guard Ja Morant out of Murray State, who is close to winning the Rookie of the Year distinction.
James is averaging 25.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 10.7 assists this season. He's actually not leading his own team in scoring, a first for LeBron. All-Star power forward teammate Anthony Davis has that honor.
Besides James winning MVP, Vogel believes Davis, acquired over last summer in a blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, is deserving of Defensive Player of the Year honors.
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