"Frank is one of my favorite...Goes to war with his players" - Anthony Davis backs LA Lakers coach amid reports of team looking for replacement
Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers have been on the receiving end of much criticism.
Another member of the franchise in the spotlight is coach Frank Vogel. But Davis has his back.
"He hasn't had a chance, especially in the last two years, to coach his team (referring to injuries)," Davis said.
The championship-winning coach will reportedly be fired in a major revamp of the organization.
Not a surprise, but damn, that was quick... twitter.com/wojespn/status…
The star big man spoke to Allen Sliwa on Sunday before the Lakers' final game of the season (a 146-141 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets).
Anthony Davis gives his thoughts on Coach Vogel in Pre Game...
"He hasn't had a chance, especially in the last 2 years, to coach his team (referring to the injuries)..."
"Frank is one of my favorite...He knows what he's doing...Goes to war with his players."
@ESPNLosAngeles
The LA Lakers (33-49) finished 11th, missing the postseason for the second time in four years with LeBron James.
Many believe Vogel is to blame for the finish due to abysmal coaching and failing to be tactically flexible. Vogel is 225-127 in three seasons. He led the Lakers to the 2020 championship in the bubble.
However, the front office also needs to be held accountable for its horrid planning and structuring of the team. The franchise has finished with a losing record in seven of the past nine seasons.
Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss, along with the Rambis family, constructed a roster without establishing or considering the principles and fundamentals of the game.
The Lakers faithful can only be thankful that this season has finally ended and can only wait to look forward to changes.
Light in the Darkness
In what has been a catastrophy of a season for the 17-time NBA champions, the sole spark has been 37-year-old LeBron James. In his 19th season, James averaged 30.3 points per game and broke multiple records in an injury-riddled season.
The regrettable factor during the season is fans never got to witness the full potential of the Big Three of Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Injuries rendered this impossible.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James: What's next for the Purple and Gold?
The Lakers are expected to make significant changes to their roster this offseason. The trade of Russell Westbrook could be at the helm of this revolution. Apart from a few consistent performers like Austin Reaves, Malik Monk and Stanley Johnson, the rest of the roster looks to be on the trade block.
The Lakers need to once again provide James with the key to the city by running the offense through Anthony Davis and the himself.
This would require them to merely get consistent role players and good defenders in order to contend for the NBA championship again.