Exclusive: "Frank Vogel and Russell Westbrook never clicked!" - NBA insider on the Lakers' problems including injuries to Anthony Davis and LeBron James, discusses their chances and competition in the West
The LA Lakers struggled to perform despite having LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook on their roster. Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson offered more insight when he joined Jeff Skversky on Sportskeeda's exclusive podcast. (Video drops soon)
The Purple and Gold were riddled with problems last season. Be it chemistry issues, injuries or overall failure in execution, the franchise missed the mark on almost every occasion.
However, the Lakers have already moved into their next phase as a franchise. One of their first changes in the offseason was to fire head coach Frank Vogel.
Lakers will fire head coach Frank Vogel after three seasons, per @wojespn https://t.co/ffTKoW1WQL
"Scoop B" Johnson spoke about the Lakers' woes as he joined Sportskeeda's exclusive podcast, "Inside The Hustle."
When asked about the Purple and Gold's issues by our very own Jeff Skversky, he said:
"The one things that people who I know within the Lakers organization have lamented to me is, last season - COVID kicked their butts. Anthony Davis being hurt as well as LeBron being hurt kicked their butts. And Frank Vogel and Russell Westbrook never clicked."
While the misfortune with injuries stung, the deteriorating relationship between Westbrook and Vogel was toxic for the team.
Russell Westbrook on Frank Vogel: "I'm not sure what his issue was with me."
Lakers coach Frank Vogel explained why he benched Russell Westbrook last night. https://t.co/nkmYij26oB
Johnson also assessed how the team would approach next season. Referring to their long offseason, he said:
"When I look at this Lakers team, having some down time, having some off time, and kind of recalibrating for an 82 game season, I think the Lakers have a chance to be competitive in the Western Conference."
"Scoop B" Johnson suggested a move for Myles Turner. But the recent acquisition of Thomas Bryant makes it counterproductive.
You can watch the full segment with "Scoop B" Robinson here:
With a likely move surrounding Westbrook on the horizon, the Lakeshow may still have more hands to play.
Can the LA Lakers be a competitive side next season?
The hype around the LA Lakers last season saw them listed as favorites to win the title. Unfortunately, this was far from realized as the Purple and Gold couldn't even crack the Play-Tournament.
The fallout after this was blurring. With major changes in personnel as well, the Lakers are definitely headed in a new direction.
But will this be a positive change for them?
While there has been no update on a trade for Russell Westbrook, the superstar guard has consistently been linked in a trade for Kyrie Irving. There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the proceedings of the trade, but acquiring Irving is viewed as a major improvement.
.@WindhorstESPN thinks a deal surrounding Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook will get done:
“I think this is eventually going to happen, but I think it’s going to be a fight along the way.” https://t.co/ncEeVx0wrf
Should this fall through, however, new head coach Darvin Ham has assured fans about his philosophy for the team and the plans he has for Westbrook.
With the aim of turning the side into championship contenders again, Ham has said all the right things to get fans excited.
Darvin Ham speaks on Russ and AD's role on the Lakers https://t.co/u9LkvBO619
On paper, the Lakers do not look like championship contenders. The lack of overall chemistry only acts as a further barrier to this. However, having acquired several young players, the Lakeshow could certainly be an entertaining side to watch.