The Golden State Warriors have reportedly hired Frank Vogel to be their lead assistant coach under head coach Steve Kerr. In doing so, they will be hoping to learn what the Los Angeles Lakers once knew (but then forgot): At his best, Vogel is capable of leading an elite defense, but some things don’t last forever.
Obviously, at the peak of his powers, Vogel was able to help lift the Lakers to an NBA Championship in 2020. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were the guys on the court, but Vogel helped set the Lakers up to have an elite defense. Those Lakers teams almost always had elite defenses. But once the magic faded, it faded hard, and Vogel was eventually fired.
Maybe it wasn’t his fault. Maybe the Russell Westbrook deal doomed him. But regardless, Vogel is a great defensive head coach, and that’s exactly what the Warriors want.
Warriors want Frank Vogel to bring the defense he brought to the Lakers
The Warriors are fighting against the clock right now. They want to give Stephen Curry the best possible chance to win a championship before he retires, and he’s not getting any younger.
Perhaps they could sign LeBron James in free agency, but even if they managed to do that, winning a title would be far from easy. They would still have to get through the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs just to get out of the Western Conference. And then, there’s the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, or whoever else comes out of the East.
Bringing in a guy like Vogel is smart. He’s been in the league for a long, long time, and he’s won an NBA Championship (in 2020). His defensive insights should give the Warriors a huge boost.
They already have Draymond Green, who, even at 36 years old, is one of the smartest defenders in the NBA. Vogel should be able to build a solid defense with the pieces Golden State has in place.
Then, Curry alone is enough to lead an offense. He’ll obviously need some help, but that’s as good a starting point as you’ll find in the NBA. Golden State just needs Vogel to bring some of his defensive magic.
The Lakers know that magic well. They also know how Vogel faded out in LA and was eventually fired. But still, when it worked, it worked.
Golden State will be hoping to capture what worked and apply it to its team next season.
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