Even though we’re months away from the start of the NBA season, people can’t seem to stop talking about the Los Angeles Lakers. They talk about how Russell Westbrook is a bad fit next to LeBron James, how old they are, and how much they’ll struggle to stay healthy.
Clearly, Rob Pelinka and Frank Vogel think otherwise. They orchestrated a roster full of veterans who already know their role and place, who have plenty of playoff experience, and who’ll do whatever it takes to help the team achieve its goal.
In fact, some former players believe that the Lakers’ age and experience make them even more likely to win the NBA championship even if the team is way older than most of their opposition.
Frank Vogel Says He Doesn’t Care About Narratives
Recently, coach Frank Vogel chimed in and gave his thoughts on this controversy. Apparently, he’s unbothered by the outside noise and how much everybody wants to talk about the Lakers’ age:
“I’m not asked, I’m told that we’re old…I don’t really like the narrative,” Vogel said on Spectrum Sportsnet’s LakeShow podcast.“I don’t. These guys can play. We have great players on our team. Yes, some of them are towards the end of their career. But, they’re still producing at a high level. If you’re producing at a high level, it doesn’t matter how old you are.”
Vince Carter Says The Lakers Have An Edge
Former NBA player Vince Carter seems to agree with Vogel 100%. He claims that all those players already know their role and that, not so long ago, all contenders were mostly made out of veteran players:
“Oh, I love to hear it. I love to hear it. I’ve been saying this for a lot of years,” Carter said on ESPN’s The Jump.“We don’t look at the years. We look at the player. What are your eyes telling you? Your eyes are telling you that player can produce. Not because of their age. Because they can get it done – regardless of their age.”
“I get it. You have a lot of young guys and that’s the way the league has gone. But I walked into the NBA many, many years ago when there was two or three young guys and all were veterans. A coach walked in and it was understood. And that’s what Frank Vogel walks into. He walks into a training camp now, and guys understand how to play,” he concluded.
Sure, Carter knows one thing or two about being a veteran in the NBA, so this take doesn’t surprise coming from him. But, in all reality, maybe we should wait to see the Lakers first before ruling them out.