The Los Angeles Lakers haven't exactly had the season they were expecting to have after they traded for Russell Westbrook. A lot of the heat from things not working out has fallen squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel has seemingly been on a hot seat for weeks now, which is surprising considering he had just won an NBA championship with the team less than two seasons ago. Assistant coach Phil Handy, who's been with LeBron James ever since his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, had a message for all the criticism that LA's coaching staff has faced.

“Until you sit in a real coaches seat at this level respect what we do,” asserted the Lakers coach. “Easy for you and others to sit on the couch and coach like it's 2K. I'm done with all the disrespect coming from folks who have never coached. We get paid for a reason.”

The Lakers find themselves firmly entrenched in the play-in tournament battle, currently sitting at ninth in the crowded Western Conference.

While we're well past the exact midway point of the NBA season, most teams use the All-Star break as a chance to reset their season with an eye towards making a playoff push.

For the Lakers, the bottom line is to win ball games. The Russell Westbrook chemistry issues, the questions on LA's supporting cast, and yes the pressure on the coaching staff – all the noise gets much quieter with more on-court success.