Nba, the Lakers say goodbye to coach Vogel: here’s who can replace him

It was Pulcinella’s secret in Los Angeles, well before the 2021-22 bankruptcy became official: Frank Vogel would not be the manager next season. Now it is also official: the Lakers and the coach who brought them the 2020 title are separated.

the announcement

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“I have the utmost respect for Frank both on and off the pitch – are the words of the plenipotentiary Rob Pelinka in the official statement -. Frank is a great coach and a great man, to whom we will always be grateful for his work in leading us to the 2020 title. This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one we believe is necessary. We wish Frank and his family the best for the future. “

unavoidable

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Vogel pays for all the historic failure of the Lakers, who remained out of the Play-In with a team built to aim for the title. He also pays for sins not his own, even if he made mistakes: he never managed to give an identity to the team (thanks to injuries, the Lakers fielded 41 different starting quintets), he immediately broke up with Russell Westbrook and lost that leadership in the locker room that had allowed him to create a direct relationship with Pelinka, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Vogel was about to jump at the end of November, before the outbreak of the Covid emergency (he himself was infected) blocked everything and forced the Lakers management to put the change of coach on standby. When the situation allowed, he was too late to intervene. “I have the utmost respect for coach Vogel, the relationship with him has always been very direct: he is someone who lives for basketball,” said LeBron James, who met the media at 6pm Italian time, reporting that he had not yet been told anything about fate of the coach.

the successor

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The full coach in Los Angeles has already left. After the first rumors pointed to Quin Snyder, who could leave the Jazz, and Doc Rivers, whose availability is still to be verified, the new name is that of Nick Nurse: it is difficult for the Raptors to let him go, given that the champion coach in 2019 he is under contract and a trade should be entered into, but if he were to ask for it, Toronto would hardly refuse. Except that the Lakers have no assets to improve the team, let alone to hire a coach.