Frank Vogel Nearly Fired by Los Angeles Lakers After Demoralizing Blowout Loss to Denver Nuggets: Report
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel was said to "narrowly avoided" being fired after a 133-96 blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
Vogel has been on the hot seat throughout a disappointing 2021-22 season for the LA Lakers, but things have reportedly gotten harder recently.
Frank Vogel Almost Fired Following Losing Streak
Following the Lakers' crushing defeat to the Denver Nuggets, in which the team was outscored by 37 points and prompted a call-out from Magic Johnson and an apology from LeBron James, reports said Frank Vogel "narrowly avoided" being fired.
Lakers were able to prevent a loss against the Utah Jazz on Monday night, ending a three-game losing streak. However, any further loss in the team could result in a coaching change sooner rather than later.
According to The Athletic, Frank Vogel is being evaluated on a game-to-game basis and is at risk of being fired if progress does not continue after Monday's win.
During the 2019-20 season, Vogel helped in the Lakers' first championship in almost a decade. But after a turbulent season last year and a similarly shaky 2021-22, the writing may be on the wall for the veteran head coach.
Vogel's job security has been in jeopardy since the start of the season. When he was hired as the Lakers' coach in 2019, he was only given a three-year contract, which is exceptionally short for any coach, let alone one as successful as he was at the time.
Vogel was only handed a one-year contract extension in the offseason of 2021, implying that the team intended to keep their options open if their roster revamps failed to produce another championship.
Los Angeles Lakers Place 7th in the Western Conference
Lakers are now in seventh place in the Western Conference, only half a game out of ninth place as the season approaches the midway point.
Following the Lakers' 37-point setback in Denver, LeBron James kept his commitment to Laker Nation to improve his team's performance. On the other hand, Vogel has been watched, and the management is apparently monitoring to see if he still has command of the locker room.
"It's been what's commanded of our guys," said Vogel on Monday after the Lakers held Utah to under 100 points.
"We've all been disappointed. We've all been called out and coached hard on it, and it finally came around," he added.
Without Anthony Davis, who suffered an MCL injury, the Lakers are currently 18th in overall defense and 24th in the offensive in the league. Davis was evaluated on Monday, but Vogel told reporters that no schedule for his return had been set.
The Lakers will host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday before heading out on a five-game road trip against the Orlando Magic on Friday. After that, the Lakers will play against the Heat, Nets, and 76ers on the road.
READ MORE: Los Angeles Lakers End 3-Game Losing Streak With a Huge Win Against Utah Jazz
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Written by: Jess Smith
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