It looks like it’s the end of the road for head coach Frank Vogel and the Los Angeles Lakers.
After a truly terrible season that saw the team missing the playoffs with an 11th seed and 33-49 record, Vogel is going to be fired from his position as early as Monday.
It’s a shame that things turned out so bad with Vogel and the Lakers in the end.
They had some good times – including a Finals victory – but things soured in some huge ways this year.
Still, some of the players have nothing but good things to say about Vogel.
Lakers SG Malik Monk on Frank Vogel: "I love the man. He gave me a chance. This was the only team that called me in the offseason and gave me a chance. I have nothing bad to say about him. All praise goes to him. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have a chance to play basketball." pic.twitter.com/CqQiz5a27r
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) April 11, 2022
Malik Monk is just one of those who love Vogel.
After Sunday night’s victory over the Denver Nuggets, Monk spoke at length about his admiration for the man.
Said Monk: “I love the man. He gave me a chance. This was the only team that called me in the offseason and gave me a chance. I have nothing bad to say about him. All praise goes to him. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have a chance to play basketball.”
Will other people involved with the Lakers hold Vogel in such high regard?
Highs And Lows
It remains to be seen how history will judge Vogel’s time coaching the Lakers.
Of course, the team won a Finals and that can’t be denied.
But the collapse from those heights to this season’s lows is remarkable and many people will blame Vogel for that.
However, the blame isn’t solely Vogel’s.
He was coaching a team assembled by a front office that made some serious missteps – like trading away a huge chunk of the roster to land Russell Westbrook.
The Westbrook acquisition might go down as one of the dumbest in NBA history – and it had nothing to do with Vogel.
In the end, Vogel was a hard-working coach who made his fair share of mistakes but always valued his players.
That should be remembered.
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