Back when the Los Angeles Lakers appointed Frank Vogel as their new coach, some people around the NBA thought it was just a trick to eventually fire him and let Jason Kidd take the reins. Given his past with the Indiana Pacers, there were serious doubts about his ability to lead the team.
Those doubts were silenced when the Lakers won the NBA championship in the bubble. Whether you’re a fan of Vogel or not, his job was to win the ring and he did it, so it’s not like the fans could complain.
But now that the Lakers went through a major roster overhaul, Vogel’s old ways are showing up again. He’s been outcoached and exposed without LeBron James on the floor, and he’s struggled to adapt to his new personnel.
Lakers News: Gilbert Arenas Says Frank Vogel Doesn’t Know How To Coach
That’s why former Wizards star Gilbert Arenas was ruthless in his assessment of the coach, stating that Vogel doesn’t know how to be flexible or understand the talent and the players he’s got on the roster:
“You’re looking at this roster now, and you’re like, ‘What are you doing?’… How do you not know how to play a player? Isn’t that your job as a coach to be flexible?… And that’s why some coaches are just not good because they don’t actually understand what talent is, how that talent is played, how to utilize that talent,” the former All-Star said.
“The players that are playing are still good players compared to everybody else,” Arenas added.“You still don’t even know how to play Westbrook the correct way. You still ain’t using him the way he needs to be used. What was training camp for then? That’s what a coach is supposed to do.”
Arenas has never been the one to mince his words but he’s right on point here. Vogel needs to hit the drawing board and realize that he’s not putting his players in a position to succeed before it’s too late.
SURVEY Is Vogel a good coach for the Lakers?
Is Vogel a good coach for the Lakers?
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