“It’s time to put him out his misery, it’s time to put LeBron James out of his misery” - Stephen A. Smith believes Frank Vogel has to go, cites the Lakers’ lack of spirit and level of ineptitude
Coach Frank Vogel's LA Lakers have floundered all season, with results seemingly only getting worse for the storied franchise.
On ESPN's "First Take," sports media personality Stephen A. Smith spoke about why the Lakers should consider parting ways with Vogel this season. Smith said:
"It's time for Frank Vogel to go. He has to go as the head coach of this franchise. It's time to put him out of his misery. It's time to put LeBron James out of his misery.
"It's not that they are losing. If you're scratching and crawling, and it's nip and tuck but we're able to point to injuries, that would be different. That's not what's going on with the Los Angeles Lakers."
Smith continued:
"We're seeing a level of inefficiency, a level of ineptitude, a lack of spirit. It's like these guys don't know what it means to be Lakers. It's Frank Vogel's responsibility to overcome that. It's not his fault as it pertains to this roster and the position that they put him in."
Los Angeles lost 114-103 to the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.
The Lakers (29-39), ninth in the Western Conference, are one game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans (28-40) after entering the season with championship aspirations. LeBron James' team is 2-8 since the All-Star break and 7-20 since Jan. 9. The Lakers haven't won consecutive games since Jan. 7 – more than two months. Their last road win was on Jan. 25.
Should the Lakers move on from Frank Vogel?
The LA Lakers are currently at a point where, no matter what they do, this season's fortunes are not going to change for them. They could make as many personnel changes as they'd like, but this is an incredibly poorly constructed roster that is going absolutely nowhere.
Yesterday, the Lakers allowed 48 points in the 1st quarter, their most allowed in a 1st quarter in the shot-clock era (since 1954-55).
Tonight, they scored 12 points in the 1st quarter and went 0-13 on 3-pt FG, the most 3-pt FGA without a make in a 1st quarter in NBA history.
Coach Frank Vogel certainly hasn't helped his case with his decisions this season. One could make the argument that the only reason he is still employed by the franchise is because of the championship he helped deliver in 2020.
Vogel made his name in the league by being an astute defensive mind, and his Indiana Pacers teams had some of the league's best defensive units. The championship win in 2020 was predicated on playing incredible defense. However, the Lakers are currently 17th in the league in defensive ratings.
The Lakers just lost to the Rockets.
The Rockets were missing 2 starters and were 2-17 in their last 19 games.
Absolutely embarrassing. https://t.co/3D5z7WYgyH
Vogel's handling of superstar point guard Russell Westbrook has also come under immense scrutiny this season. The guard's poor play has been partly attributed to Vogel's lack of clarity for him and his deployment.
With all that said, the best option seemingly for the Lakers is to relieve Vogel of his duties and appoint assistant coach Davis Fizdale until the end of the season. In the summer, the franchise can make a permanent call about the franchise's direction in terms of coaching personnel.