"They really hit bottom last night" - Skip Bayless criticizes the LA Lakers, believes Frank Vogel is on the way out
The LA Lakers and their head coach Frank Vogel came under even more scrutiny after their loss against the Indiana Pacers. Their latest defeat is being described as the lowest point of their season.
On Fox Sports' morning show Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, sports media personality Skip Bayless shared that losing yet again last night was the LA Lakers hitting rock bottom. Bayless said:
"Not only do I think he won't survive the road trip, I won't be surprised if he doesn't survive today. Just today. I believe he could be gone by this afternoon. They really hit bottom last night."
Bayless also mentioned how undermanned the Pacers were, yet the Lakers still couldn't get the job done. He continued:
"The Pacers last night were without Myles Turner. They were obviously without TJ McConnell and TJ Warren. They are 15-29, just to drive home how bad they have been, they are the third-worst team in the Eastern Conference. And you got blown off the floor in the fourth quarter."
"I won't be surprised if Frank Vogel doesn't survive today. He could be gone this afternoon. The Fakers really hit bottom last night."
— @RealSkipBayless on Lakers giving up 15-point lead to Pacers https://t.co/MQDjYhFiiW
Should the LA Lakers fire Frank Vogel?
LA Lakers head coach Frank Vogel made a name for himself in the NBA as a defensive mastermind who can take a group of decent players and turn them into a defensive powerhouse that could make a deep run in the postseason. His time with the Indiana Pacers coaching the likes of Lance Stevenson and Paul George is the perfect example of this.
However, it is not a good look for Vogel to have a reputation for being a great defensive coach and have his present squad ranked 20th in defensive rating. Vogel's career has been all about shaping his teams to be tough defensively and difficult to beat. That's how the LA Lakers won their championship in 2020 with Vogel at the helm.
The Lakers entered play with a 230-0 record (including playoffs) when leading by at least 25 points in a game over the last 25 seasons.
They led by 26 tonight, their largest blown lead over that span. https://t.co/2fd5GdH5Dd
The LA Lakers have repeatedly blown big leads in the second half of games this season. Blame it on having the oldest roster in the NBA, as their players don't have the legs to lock down opponents towards the end of games. The Lakers simply don't have the speed and quickness to keep up with the younger teams in the league.
Their roster construction is not Frank Vogel's fault. That particular blame lies with LeBron James and the Lakers' vice president of basketball operations, Rob Pelinka. However, coaching these players and providing them with a game plan comes down to Vogel and his coaching staff.
Changing the coach may provide some immediate reprieve. But finding a suitable replacement will be challenging as there aren't many exceptional coaches available at the moment, barring Mike D'Antoni. Perhaps the LA Lakers may want to look into assistant coach David Fizdale taking over permanently.