Los Angeles Lakers rumors have been plentiful, but Frank Vogel isn’t worried about Jason Kidd undermining his job.
There have been plenty of Los Angeles Lakers rumors recently. With draft season officially upon us, there will be plenty of mock drafts and Lakers rumors about which players they could target with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
If the Lakers make that selection, the person who will be leading them this season on the court is Frank Vogel. Vogel was hired after the Lakers and Luke Walton parted ways following the regular season. Vogel wasn’t the team’s first choice, or second for that matter, but he is who they eventually landed on.
Vogel was originally being eyed as an assistant on Tyronn Lue‘s coaching staff. When talks with Lue crumbled, Vogel emerged as a candidate to become the head coach.
Part of the reason that talks with Lue fell apart was the contract being offered and who the organization wanted on his staff. A three-year deal was offered and Jason Kidd was being pushed.
Lue did not accept those terms, while Vogel did. It is understandable why Lue wouldn’t agree to such terms, as it is insulting that an NBA Champion head coach was offered a shorter deal than less accomplished head coaches have received. In addition, having specific people, especially someone with the history of Kidd, is not something successful coaches will go for either.
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As a result, Vogel was brought on as the new head coach with Kidd added to the staff as an assistant. Despite some red flags, Vogel is not worried about Kidd undermining as head coach.
Ohm Youngmisuk and Dave McMenamin of ESPN shared a quote from Vogel, who cited his experience as a reason for him not worrying.
"“I have been around this business a long time. I really don’t give that a second thought. You can say that about every coach in the league about their assistant coaches. It happens from time to time. I believe if you treat people with the right respect and do the job at the highest level, build an environment of positivity and collaboration, you can’t worry about that stuff.“You can’t worry about looking over your shoulder. You got to worry about getting good damn coaches, and that is how I feel about this hire.”"
It isn’t a surprise that Vogel would say this. What else is he supposed to say? He isn’t going to trash his new assistant or the organization that just hired him.
While Vogel wasn’t atop the Lakers’ list when their head coaching search began, they ended up with a good one given the circumstances. Vogel was great with the Indiana Pacers, leading them to the postseason five out of the six seasons he was there.
While things didn’t go as smoothly with the Orlando Magic, where he was fired after two seasons, Vogel has the ability to help quickly turn things around in Los Angeles. Vogel builds his principles on the defensive side of the ball, something the Lakers could use.
While this is a tough situation, there is a chance to get things turned around. With LeBron James and a young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart already in place, the No. 4 pick and ample cap space, this roster could be upgraded in a big way.
Vogel may not have been considered right away, but the organization should be lucky to have him in place. Putting Kidd behind him as an assistant is another story, but as long as Vogel is given a chance to do his job, things could work out well.