“Frank is judged by winning, it’s not just about coaching Russell” - Richard Jefferson supports Frank Vogel’s decision to bench Russell Westbrook
Much has been made of Russell Westbrook's benching late in the game against the Indiana Pacers, and pundits have continued to give their hot takes. Although the LA Lakers lost the game, head coach Frank Vogel maintains that he fielded a lineup he believed could win the game.
Vogel and Westbrook have both been on the receiving end of fans' frustration, with rumors surrounding their departure making the rounds. So far, there has been no traction around either of them leaving the team anytime soon.
Russell Westbrook, despite ditching the media after the Pacers game, spoke with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski upon landing in Orlando with the team. He revealed that while he was surprised to be left on the bench with four minutes to play, he was more disappointed that the team lost.
Wojnarowski joined the cast of NBA Today to discuss Westbrook's comments and his relationship with Vogel. After stating his point, Malika Andrews asked sports analyst Richard Jefferson how he saw their relationship and how Russ is being coached. In response, he said:
"I think he's trying to figure it out. And Russ, he was talking about he didn't really understand it but he supports him. When I look at Russell, he is a person that is trying to figure it out. And he is an elite superstar in this league, he is a former MVP that is on his fourth team in four years and the first forty games have not gone well."
Jefferson added:
"But for anybody to question Frank Vogel for sitting someone the last four minutes that was 5-for-17, and he's probably had 10, 12 games like that. And so for Frank to be like, 'just sit for the next five minutes let's see if we can figure this out, let's see if we can do it,' that's what you need to do."
He concluded:
"Frank is judged by winning, it's not just by coaching Russell and how his relationship is with Russell. His job is to coach the entire team and to coach the Lakers."
Winning is all that is important, no matter how they come, and the Lakers fans have something to cheer about. Although defeating the inexperienced lowly Orlando Magic will not count as a big win, Laker Nation will be glad to have one more tick in the win column.
Frank Vogel had more trust in Russell Westbrook against the Orlando Magic
Based on what we saw in the 116-105 victory against the Magic last night, it seems like Vogel's trust in Russell Westbrook is growing. The triple-double machine played for 35 minutes and was on the floor a lot longer towards the end of the game. He exited with under two minutes to play and the win guaranteed.
Bron 🤝Russ ↗️ Bron 🤝
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In the time he spent on the floor, Russ registered 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. He shot 8-of-17 from the floor and turned the ball over three times, which some might deem avoidable.
Russ can impact games, and he showed it tonight. While he was aggressive on offense, he was also active defensively, recording a game-high three steals in the contest. It was an impressive way to kick off a six-game road stretch and the fans will be hoping for more of the same from Brodie.