LOS ANGELES – Following a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference at 44-12. LeBron James and company are firing on all cylinders with six straight wins and the distinction of being one the league's elite teams.
As expected, LeBron has played a major role in the Lakers' success this season. Although some doubted Frank Vogel's ability to coach the superstar forward, he has done a great up to this point and talked about coaching the three-time NBA champion after the game on Tuesday.
“We coach him like we do everyone on the team, in terms of accountability and everything he's doing from an execution standpoint,” Vogel said of coaching LeBron. “The number one thing is not his stat line, it's about winning the game, so we will continue to coach him while he uses what he needs and finds his ways and opportunities to impact the game in ways that only he can. He's delivering special performances for us all season long, and we don't take it for granted. We are where we are because of a large part of what he does on a night in and night out basis.”
In his 17th season in the NBA, James is dominating the competition as per usual. He's leading the league in assists for the first time in his career at 10.6 per game while also making a case to win another MVP award. The superstar is showing no signs of slowing down and could be headed for his fourth title.
With the Lakers being a legitimate title contender and on the cusp of snapping their playoff drought, Vogel is also in the running for a regular-season award with a strong case for NBA Coach of the Year.
Although Vogel was under pressure immediately after being hired, especially with former NBA head coaches Jason Kidd and Lionel Hollins added to his staff who could quickly replace him if need be, he's embraced the challenge while also earning James' respect in the process.
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