Report: Lakers still expected to fire Frank Vogel at end of season

The Lakers have been so excited to fire Frank Vogel all year that, when you really think about it, it’s not all that surprising that they couldn’t even wait for the team to officially be eliminated from play-in contention to leak it one more time.

Because after the front office already leaked last month that they would have fired Vogel already if Jason Kidd was still on his staff, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report is now reporting that Vogel being canned is officially just a matter of “when,” not “if.”

Now, as the finish line for this tumultuous 2021-22 campaign mercifully arrives, the Lakers are still expected to part ways with embattled play-caller Frank Vogel, sources told B/R, and the anticipated vacancy on Los Angeles’ bench has produced no shortage of potential candidates linked to fill the position.

Let this serve as yet another signal that this year is officially — and, as Jake wrote, “mercifully” — almost over. As expected, Vogel is going to get canned, and as we’ve written throughout the year in this space, that won’t be entirely undeserved.

But anyone rooting for the success of this organization will also need to hope that power figures within the team also realize there were problems that extended beyond just the head coach. Because by eliminating their easiest scapegoat, the spotlight is squarely on them now. And so whoever they hire next had better be the answer, because if they’re not, then it won’t just be the coach getting the majority of the public blame for this level of mess next time around.

Everyone — from ownership, to the front office, to the shadow advisors — needs to look in the mirror, and realize the issues this season went beyond Vogel, even if he clearly wasn’t the solution to them, either.

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