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The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly fired Frank Vogel, with the veteran head coach already having coached his final game for the Purple and Gold.
As the 2021-22 season for the Los Angeles Lakers ended in dire straits, Frank Vogel seems to be in the firing line. According to reports from ESPN, the 48-year old’s departure from the team will be announced as soon as Monday. The Lakers have not announced any replacement or front-running candidate so far.
The Lakers had a disastrous 2021-22 season and finished 11th in the Western Conference. As the team struggled to qualify for the playoffs with a 33-49 regular season record, the writing was on the wall for Vogel.
Over the past few months, the Lakers struggled immensely with regular strings of defeats pushing them out of contention for the playoffs. Even the absence of Anthony Davis and the poor form of Russell Westbrook pushed the Lakers to the brink. While LeBron James also attempted to spark a mini-revival for the Lakers, the damage had already been done.
While the decision does seem harsh on Vogel given the fact that he coached the Lakers to the NBA championship just 18 months ago, the team’s hierarchy needed to take a brave call. The decision was made on Sunday after Vogel coached his final game for the Lakers, a 146-141 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets, concluding the regular season fixtures.
Vogel took charge of the Lakers in 2019 and helped the team win the NBA Championship in his first season in LA. The Lakers finished that regular season 52–19 and at the summit of the Western Conference. They beat the Miami Heat in six games at the NBA Finals to win their 17th franchise title.
In his second season in charge of the team, the Lakers would finish with a 42–30 record, despite the absence of LeBron James and Anthony Davis for large parts of the campaign. And although the team made the playoffs, they were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
Vogel’s third season, however, proved to be the cause of his downfall as the Lakers finished 11th and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
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