The Los Angeles Lakers will not fire head coach Frank Vogel in the aftermath of the team's latest inexcusable showing — a 111-104 loss at Crypto.com Arena to the reeling Indiana Pacers (16-29), who hadn't won a road game since late November.
Shortly after the buzzer, Yahoo's Chris Haynes reported that Los Angeles “will not be making a personnel move” and Vogel will be with the Lakers when they embark on their six-game “GRAMMYs” road trip, which begins with a matchup against the Orlando Magic on Friday. The Lakers (22-23) — who have struggled to beat playoff-caliber competition this season — will then face the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, and Atlanta Hawks.
The Athletic's Bill Oram — who reported that the Lakers were evaluating Vogel on a game-to-game basis and may have fired him had the Lakers not defeated the Utah Jazz on Monday — confirmed Haynes' reporting.
“It's very frustrating, but it's a long season and we believe in our group,” a solemn and peeved Vogel said after the Pacers game. “But this is definitely a disappointing loss. This is a team sub. 500 on our home court.”
In typical 2021-22 Lakers fashion, their latest "best" win of the season is followed by their latest "worst" loss of the season. This one could be Frank Vogel's last, based on recent reporting.
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) January 20, 2022
Vogel deserves a share of the blame for an underwhelming Lakers season. But, the front office constructed a flawed roster, the players haven't consistently put forth championship-level effort, and injuries/COVID-19 protocols have hindered their ability to build cohesiveness.
“I don’t feel like I’m under siege,” Vogel said before facing Indiana. “It’s not hard to do my job. I’m very focused on the task at hand. I’ve always been that way. It’s not really not up to me if it’s fair or not. It comes with the territory. It comes with being the Lakers coach. You have high expectations. This fanbase really cares. It’s a big market and I wouldn’t want it any other way, to be honest with you. I want people to care. I want people to want the best and to command excellence of our group. That’s what we command of ourselves so that’s the way it is.”
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1zIWCJzCaQN8MNkj6CE5Ss?si=524e9cce1fcc4182
With Anthony Davis expected to return on the upcoming road trip, it's safe to wager that Vogel's job status will be determined by how the team performs over the next six games.
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