Frank Vogel is looking to make his mark as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. He will definitely have a challenging task at hand with all the big names on the roster, led by the superstar pairing of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
With season one around the corner, Davis noted that Vogel wants his troops to be a defensive-minded squad. In the same way, AD said that many guys on the team want to provide a positive impact on defense.
“He wants to be a defensive-minded team and I think a lot of the guys on the team want to be a defensive player,” Davis said, per Mark Medina of USA Today. “So it kind of works hand in hand. He’s been stressing defense a lot throughout our schemes and what we want our identity to be as a team on the defensive end.”
Defense has always been Vogel's calling card as we saw in his stint with the Indiana Pacers. Those Pacers in the early 2010's were defensive juggernauts and went toe-to-toe with the Miami Heat Big Three.
Article Continues BelowIt's good for Vogel to establish his vision for his team ahead of the season. He could create the same identity for the Lakers (as he did with Indiana) as a rugged and hard-nosed defensive squad.
Obviously, Davis is one of the best defenders in the league and is a shot blocking machine. His pairing alongside Javale McGee and Dwight Howard in Los Angeles' front court would make offenses think twice about attacking the basket.
The Lakers also added a some established perimeter defenders such as Danny Green, Avery Bradley, and Jared Dudley. With all these tough-minded guys on the Purple and Gold led by the defensive-minded Vogel, expect Lakers games to be rough and physical.