Nate Bjorkgren lost control of his team and soon after the season imploded!
Have you ever just looked at pictures like these and wonder what actually happened? Well, what happened in this picture was a technicolored example of what can happen when the head coach loses complete control of the locker room.
Press play…
As bad as it looks when an assistant coach and a player is separated by players and coaches alike, Bjorkgren had already done irreparable damage alienating so many in the organization. Was Vogel this bad? No (But can anyone screw up to this level?), but the frustration was mounting.
Frank Vogel comparison:
During the championship year, the roster 1-15 was focused on winning a NBA championship. Even players like Troy Daniels, who was let go showed their appreciation and class. This year? Not so much.
- Dwight Howard first goes to the media with a quote stating he wouldn’t go through another year without getting paid. Then he makes an announcement of Twitter that he is returning…then he goes to Philly.
- Markieff Morris complains about playing time.
- Marc Gasol goes to the media about his role when Andre Drummond is signed. It was rumored that he wanted to be bought out.
- Kyle Kuzma told the media he was confused about his role…when the Lakers was rolling through the NBA to start the season!
- Montrezl Harrell voiced his displeasure about benchings in his own way. Since Trezl uses strong language…read here. Something about wasting time?
The most telling situation with Frank Vogel was when LeBron James was not attending games when he was out with an ankle injury. When asked why, Vogel could not give an answer. How can the coach not know about the status of his best players? Disconnect?
By the end of the season, LeBron was leaving games noticeably early before the final buzzer. Could we getting back to these days if the Lakers start slow next year?
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1107320952755548162
Think this is not a problem? Let’s relive the Rick Carlisle situation with his relationship with his star Luka Doncic via ESPN’s Tim McMahon.
"There had been simmering tension between Luka Doncic and Rick Carlisle that was a concern within the Mavs organization. The expectation was that he’d return next season, but he’d have been on the hot seat."
So let’s ask the $64 dollar question…