Why Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel should be coach of the year

Frank Vogel should be coach of the year for engineering the NBA’s best defense without LeBron James and Anthony Davis 

Head coach Frank Vogel and the Los Angeles Lakers have defended their NBA Championship admirably this season. So admirably, the Lakers have given up the fewest points per possession in the entire NBA.

For all the criticism surrounding the Lakers, one fact remains: their title window begins and ends with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Without them, the Lakers are not getting past the first-round of the playoffs.

The team is built around LeBron and AD’s individual brilliance. It was understood the Lakers would struggle this season in order to give LeBron and AD enough rest to keep them healthy for the playoffs. Prior to this season, the Lakers holding the fourth seed is about as most fans expected.

No one could have foreseen Anthony Davis missing half of the games this season to date. LeBron James is out indefinitely due to a high ankle sprain. The Lakers cratered in LeBron’s first season when he missed 17 games due to a reoccurring groin injury.

Injuries always happen over the course of the season. It is what it is. Frank Vogel is not at fault for LeBron and AD getting hurt. His challenge was to not just establish a strong foundation for the Lakers going forward but also to make LeBron and AD as dominant as possible.

Frank Vogel has met that challenge and the Los Angeles Lakers coach deserves the highest honor.

The foundation was built on the court but was cemented off the court.