The Los Angeles Lakers haven't exactly been setting the league on fire throughout the start of the season. But with their roster seemingly set in stone given how their salary cap is divvied up, is Frank Vogel the odd man out if things don't change in a hurry?
That's the exact sentiment that Stephen A. Smith has on where the Lakers go from here. The outspoken First Take host was vocal that should their struggles continue, they make look elsewhere for their head coaching spot.
“I expect the Lakers to fire Frank Vogel. I am not advocating it by any stretch of the imagination. I like Frank Vogel. Frank Vogel has been a top notch defensive mind in the NBA. I think that he's a champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, he's already delivered that.”
“But these are the Lakers. This is tinsel town. … We've got questions about chemistry. We've got questions about commitment and dedication. We damn sure got questions about their defense. … If this continues, Frank Vogel in my opinion will not be the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers come All-Star break.”
The Lakers have dealt with a slew of injuries and major roster reconstruction from the offseason. The expectation was always going to be that things would take time. Making a midseason coaching change may leave them even more in flux than they were prior to it, with yet another coach needing to gain LeBron James' trust.
Though as we saw from LeBron's championship season with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2015-16, a shake-up does have the potential to work out. The Lakers will probably give Frank Vogel a much longer leash than Stephen A. Smith is giving him credit for. But the later we get into the season, the shorter it probably gets.
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