Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel seemed utterly optimistic about his team's chances to reach the NBA Finals and even win the title, now able to boast two of the best players in the league under the same starting lineup.
The new coach referred to the newly-formed duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis as “two of the best players in the universe” — noting their abilities could carry this team into the promised land.
“When the starting point for your roster is two of the best players in the universe, that’s a really good starting point,” said Vogel, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “We have the ability to reach the ultimate prize.”
Many have doubted Vogel's ability to coach a superstar of James' caliber, but he's said all the right things ahead of his coaching debut with the Lakers. The pressure-cooker will surely be there, as many expect that if things go haywire, it could be his assistant Jason Kidd taking the helm if he is fired.
Article Continues BelowThe James-Davis one-two punch should be one that starts netting wins almost instantly, but it will take a lot of coaching from Vogel to get a relatively brand new team in the same page and form an identity.
The front office surrounded James with plenty of shooters and playmakers to put him in position to win, but to reach that “ultimate prize,” Vogel must coach them to the point of cohesiveness, never letting their proverbial foot off the pedal through the course of the season.