One problem with the Lakers’ apparent likelihood of firing Frank Vogel this offseason: Vogel, who guided Los Angeles to the 2020 championship, is a good coach.
The Lakers decided it wasn’t worth firing him during the season for just anyone. The same logic should apply during the offseason. A change of voice won’t be sufficient – especially if downgrading in coaching ability.
But what if Los Angeles can get an even better coach?
Like the Jazz’s Quin Snyder.
It can be especially difficult to separate fact from fiction when a coach is angling for a new deal. Everything is negotiation. Outside interest provides leverage.
The Jazz signed Snyder to a contract extension in 2019, but it’s unclear how many year he has remaining on his deal. Snyder has previously been linked to the Spurs job. A big difference between the two positions: San Antonio looks like a relatively non-descript NBA franchise once Gregg Popovich departs and not more alluring than Utah. The Lakers’ prestige has spanned generations, and the Los Angeles market is a major draw. Plus, the Lakers have LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
It’d be intriguing to see highly skilled and highly intelligent LeBron in Snyder’s advanced offensive system. Snyder has also implemented sound defenses over the years.
The Jazz haven’t broken through in the playoffs under Snyder. Maybe that’s because he has gotten his teams to overachieve in the regular season, raising postseason expectations too high. Or maybe he’s not quite good enough at navigating a team through a deep playoff run. The uncertainty ought to concern the Lakers, who are trying to contend for another title around LeBron and Davis.
But where are they going to get a proven championship coach?
(Besides their own bench, of course.)
