The Los Angeles Lakers have fired head coach Frank Vogel, but the worst isn’t behind them just yet. NBA fans are ruthless, and they’re coming for the Lake Show.
LA informed Vogel he was fired on Monday afternoon, after the team started the year with championship expectations, but finished 33-49, missing the postseason altogether.
Los Angeles’ roster had at least four future Hall of Famers on it, if not more. On paper, they were a behemoth. In practice, they were a disaster.
So, where will the Lakers go from here? The environment in the LA locker room is borderline toxic at this juncture, but there’s a lot of talent to work with. If the Lakers can find a way to dump Russell Westbrook on some other poor team, then perhaps they can still make this work with a decent offseason. LeBron and Anthony Davis (when healthy) remain a decent core group.
Lakers new coach rumors
LA are interested in hiring Nick Nurse — a coach they would need to acquire via trade — from the Toronto Raptors. He, along with the likes of Quin Snyder, is their top target. David Fizdale isn’t a bad internal option, and perhaps Sam Cassell could finally receive that head coaching opportunity should he impress during interviews.
Lakers fire Frank Vogel: Reaction
Rival NBA fans were ruthless when Vogel was fired, as they have been all year long.
Frank Vogel getting the Woj notification pic.twitter.com/8ePQWIq6Gd
— I Think You Should League Pass (@nbaleave) April 11, 2022
The Lakers firing Frank Vogel pic.twitter.com/pGE9uKHNaF
— Overtime (@overtime) April 11, 2022
Vogel tryna stop the Lakers from taking his head coach job pic.twitter.com/8uyXgMmYAT
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) April 11, 2022
Rob Pelinka finding Frank Vogel the second the Lakers season ends. 😬 pic.twitter.com/Ar4s9m0E3W
— theScore Bet (@theScoreBet) April 11, 2022
LeBron to Vogel once the final buzzer sounds pic.twitter.com/0YXtkAEVmD
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) April 11, 2022
Avery Bradley hearing Vogel got fired pic.twitter.com/sVm8S6aQc6
— ZIGG🫧 (@ziggziah) April 11, 2022
https://twitter.com/currypistonn/status/1513578910679801868
Frank Vogel: “Hey do y’all mind if we take one last team photo together?”
— Rosa Parks’ Burner Account (@Rosasburner) April 11, 2022
The Lakers: pic.twitter.com/3hjO5x23Gi
LeBron getting the Woj notification that Vogel is gone pic.twitter.com/RmNqnVvXhe
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) April 11, 2022
The last three head coaches Russell Westbrook played for
— Rob Kimbell (@RobKSports) April 11, 2022
2020 Mike D'Antoni, Rockets
2021 Scott Brooks, Wizards
2022 Frank Vogel, Lakers
All three were gone after the season ended
Vogel notification should hit in the next 48-72 hours god is good pic.twitter.com/Az2QsH9sp5
— Juan 🇸🇻 (@LOLL________) April 11, 2022
The LA Lakers replacing Frank Vogel with Doc Rivers pic.twitter.com/IMJEWRVD2I
— ZubacSZN (@213clipset) April 11, 2022
There were many more where that came from.
As always, whichever team LeBron plays for receives the most heat. Considering it’s the Lakers — a franchise already hated by scores of fans across the Association — makes it all the more fun.