Despite having won a victory against one of the best teams in the NBA, it is difficult to get the Los Angeles Lakers out of the shipwreck. Consumed the first half of the season, the hysteria has not taken hold of them, but an atmosphere of disappointment circulates in the franchise that could explode at any moment. Westbrook has been the first affected by the exit rumors, but Frank Vogel has not taken long to accompany him. Bill Oram and Sam Amick write a four-handed article on The Athletic in which they report that the position of the technician is under magnification. Being evaluated match by match.
It’s not the first time this season that Frank Vogel has found himself in the spotlight. With the Lakers submerged in a mediocrity from which they never seem to come out completely, at the end of November the first siren songs sounded. Not long after, Jeanie Buss assured that they would not judge the coach until the squad was fully available. But games happen and, even if Kendrick Nunn gets complicated and Anthony Davis is about to return, all patience has a limit.
The franchise thus begins a severe scrutiny at a key point in the season, such as the month before the transfer market closes. On paper, the Los Angeles organization does not have enough pieces of value to execute movements that help it escape from the current situation. However, the urgency to take advantage of every game left in LeBron James’ career moves mountains in California, and faith is the last thing to be lost. If the players cannot be changed, we will have to look at the bench.
(Cover photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)