Lakers: Frank Vogel Expected to be Fired if Struggles Continue According to Stephen A Smith

As it always goes in sports, when teams are struggling, blame is always put upon the coach. Frank Vogel won a title just two years ago with the Lakers, in a chaotic season that was upended by numerous stoppages with the pandemic and the George Floyd incident, but apparently that does not seem to buy him much leeway. It is widely known that his contract only extends until next season and there has been chatter amongst league circles that the end could be coming for the head coach.

Many fans have been calling for changes to be made for the team. Granted these are the Lakers, so it is not surprising a lot of backlash happens when the team struggles in the moment. Before the Lakers loss to the Clippers, ESPN pundit Stephen A Smith gave his thoughts on Vogel’s status.

“I expect the Lakers to fire Frank Vogel.”

But wait, there’s a caveat.

“If this continues Frank Vogel, in my opinion, will not be the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers come All-Star Weekend.”

Smith is pretty plugged into the league, but there have been instances where he has been completely wrong on situations. Whether you find his speculation or thoughts relevant, he does present a good point.

“These are the Lakers. This is Tinseltown. We’re looking at LeBron James—36 ain’t getting any younger. We’re looking at Russell Westbrook—32 ain’t getting any younger. We’re looking at AD, we got questions about chemistry. We got questions about commitment and dedication. We damn sure got questions about their defense, which has been ranked in the bottom five throughout the season.”

Right now, the Lakers have more that is working against them than for them. Injuries and the odd roster fit are presenting challenges from the Lakers establishing longer runs of consistent good offensive of play. Even so, coaches that won titles recently are usually given more time to figure things out. Regardless, these are the Lakers so the team will definitely need to start stringing together prolonged winning streaks or changes will definitely be coming.