#Wittels- Posted April 11, 2022 Posted April 11, 2022 The Los Angeles team says goodbye to the coach after three seasons and the franchise's 17th title Lakers coach Frank Vogel (standing) with LeBron James and Anthony Davis sitting on the bench The Lakers have fired Frank Vogel, the coach for three seasons who led them to an NBA title from the bubble. The news was confirmed this Monday, but the rumor had been going on for weeks and indicated that the 48-year-old coach would become the scapegoat for a disastrous campaign affected by injuries and poor performance by the stars. The team of legends like Shaq, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and now LeBron James did not make the playoffs. "This is a very difficult decision to make, but we believe it is necessary at this point," the organization's vice president and team manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. The executive said this morning that this has been a "disappointing" year on "all levels." This is the week of explanations for the Lakers, who closed this Sunday with a win against the Denver Nuggets in a campaign with 49 losses in 82 games. The equipment was in the eleventh position (of fifteen) in the Western conference of the NBA. Vogel today becomes the first victim of a season where the Angelenos did not find style or accommodation on the court. Pelinka has called Vogel a "good man" and says the organization will forever be grateful to him for guiding her to her 17th title, earned in 2020, the year of the bubble. The coach tried 40 different lineups, mainly forced by the only constant that the squad had, injuries to its mainstays: Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Both missed the last meetings. The other great star, Russell Westbrook, who came to the team invited by James and whose fit is a mystery for the organization that he still cannot clear up, did not work out the final game either. "My level of play has not been the best this year," Westbrook admitted on Monday. Frank Vogel tried to put on a poker face Sunday night in the face of rumors of his dismissal. “The team hasn't communicated anything to me,” he told reporters covering the NBA. Many of them already knew that Pelinka and the board had decided on the guillotine and that the coach had played his last game on the bench. Vogel was the team's 27th coach in franchise history. Remembered as the one who made an offensive machine defend, something that was confirmed in the winning season that crowned them against Miami in the bull run that the NBA imposed in Orlando. The coach leaves a mark with the Angelenos of 127 wins and 98 losses. His total after eleven seasons is 431 wins and 289 losses. The last game of the season was a good reflection of the ailments suffered by the team, which started among the favorites not only in their conference, but also to win the title again. In Denver, the Lakers' most important players were 23-year-old rookie Austin Reeves, who scored 31 points in 42 minutes, and shooting guard Malik Monk, with 41 points in 35 minutes, and who is playing his fifth year in the NBA. . Both were among the most consistent of the season. They are under 25 years old. They are the young blood of a team that bet on veterans with the signings of Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo, which made the Lakers the oldest team in the league. Pelinka has said this Monday that the team will have a new coach for the NBA draft, which will be held on June 23. The manager has assured the press that he is solely responsible for the hiring, taking fire from those who criticize Vogel for the lack of chemistry between Davis, James and Westbrook, a trident that has been dubbed The Big Three (The big three) , but that has been left to duty. Pelinka has assured that for the substitute in the position they are looking for an expert who has a strong character and who can inspire his players to compete every night at the highest level. LeBron James, in an appearance this morning, made it clear that he will continue to work in yellow and purple: “I came here to win a title. And I want more. I got what I wanted, but I'm still hungry." Link: https://elpais.com/deportes/2022-04-11/los-lakers-despiden-al-entrenador-frank-vogel-tras-una-desastrosa-temporada.html
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