The Los Angeles Lakers 2022 season has been filled with disappointment and falling below expectations. Despite entering the year as the betting favorite to win the Western Conference, the Lakers now sit nine games below .500 with just over a month remaining before the postseason.
Over the course of the season, after each and every bad loss, talking heads and Lakers’ fans alike have questioned the job security of head coach Frank Vogel. Regardless of the fact that Vogel led the purple and gold to the franchise’s 17th NBA Championship just two seasons ago, the drastic underperformance from this year’s team has seemingly resulted in Vogel’s leash becoming shorter and shorter.
As the season has worn on, and the Lakers not being able to suffer worse losses than some that they have already suffered (knock on wood, Lakers’ fans. . .), it has become increasingly unlikely that the Lakers’ brass makes an in-season coaching change.
Whether that is due to the fact that no possible replacement sitting next to Vogel looks any more appealing, or because Los Angeles feels that their championship-winning coach deserves more leeway, Vogel seems to be a lock to finish the season at this point.
Beyond the close of the current campaign, though, is a very different story. Unless the Lakers pull off some kind of miracle and make a deep playoff run, the odds that Vogel returns for a fourth season appear to be rather low.
The Los Angeles Lakers better hire the right replacement for Frank Vogel.
The roster has seemed checked out for large portions of the season and the former Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic coach has struggled to find solid rotations or an effective offensive gameplan.
If Vogel is let go during the offseason, the opportunity to coach a Lakers team led by Anthony Davis and LeBron James would certainly be an attractive one to candidates around the league.
That being said, let’s examine a few possible candidates for the Lakers’ new head coach for the 2023 season.