3. The Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff has the edge
There are some variables as Tyronn Lue has a pretty woeful career record when LeBron James was not playing on the Cleveland Cavaliers but it was the Cavaliers after all and in a small sample size that is not a fair thing to hang out hats on.
However, one thing I do know is that the Los Angeles Lakers have a fantastic coaching staff. Anyone who had any doubts in Frank Vogel and his staff should have had them removed in the NBA Playoffs.
Vogel really had an understanding of the rotations and defensively schemed the Lakers for a lot of success. The Lakers were the first team to really limit the Portland Trail Blazers in the bubble, limited a high-powered Houston and Denver offense and has success defensively against Miami.
Vogel knows what he is doing and we can trust in him managing this rotation to both maximize success but also maintain LeBron and AD’s workload throughout the season.
I don’t really understand the love that Lue is getting from Clipper fans. Yes, Doc Rivers’ rotations and game-managing was woeful in the NBA Playoffs. There is absolutely no way to refute that.
However, they replaced him with a guy who was in-house and was part of the problem? I know that Lue was not the one making the decisions but it is not like they are undergoing a culture change or bringing a new face in. They replaced a head coach with his assistant, who had the job of helping scheme up these rotations and plays for the team.
I think it will naturally be an improvement from Rivers, but I do not think the Clippers are making this exponential leap at head coach.
They certainly are not making a leap to Vogel’s level.