getty New Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel speaks to media at a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on May 20, 2019.
Heading into training camp for the 2019-2020 season, Frank Vogel has some high expectations for his loaded roster. Featuring Anthony Davis coming in to play alongside LeBron James creates arguably the best one-two punch in a league filled with superstar duos. Bringing in quality role players like Danny Green and Avery Bradley while taking a gamble on a high-upside risk like Dwight Howard, the Lakers have a blend of talent, balance, and experience that could very well carry them deep into the playoffs.
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Lakers Coach Frank Vogel Praises Roster at Media Day
Lakers coach Frank Vogel: “We have the ability to achieve the ultimate prize. We have the resume, the experience, the talent to do it. But it’s not going to happen if we don’t come together.”
Citing the heaps of talent and experience, Vogel feels the team has all the necessary pieces to put together a special run. However, Vogel seems to understand that the talent and pedigree of his team alone aren’t enough to guarantee anything. As Laker fans saw first hand during Dwight Howard’s first tenure, superstar pairings can blow up in the team’s face. Vogel seems to be up to the task of managing the personalities of James, Davis, and Howard among others, it should be interesting to see just how quickly Vogel is capable of getting this team on the same page.
With so many new faces on the roster, there look to be some growing pains on the way. James and Davis look to be ideal complements for one another, yet even those two will likely need time to figure out how exactly they can play off one another in order to get the most out of their respective skill sets.
Frank Vogel Jokes About Lakers Opening Night Starting Lineup
Frank Vogel: “No decisions have been made on starting lineups. We’re going to see how things play out in camp.”
Vogel was asked about the Lakers’ starting lineup during his media day appearance and started to answer the question before stopping himself and breaking out laughing. Vogel explained that he wants to get a look at players during training camp before placing anyone in a particular role. Vogel has maintained this stance throughout the offseason and seems to be having some fun with reporters who incessantly ask him the question.
When it comes to the starting lineup, regardless of what Vogel says it seems that four of the five positions effectively have a starter in place. Danny Green is expected to see the bulk of the minutes at shooting guard while LeBron slots in at his usual small forward position. Joining them is expected to be Anthony Davis at power forward and JaVale McGee manning the center position.
The biggest question mark in the starting lineup comes down to point guard, where it looks like there is a three-player battle between Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso, and Quinn Cook. The Lakers could also opt to go with a larger lineup and play Avery Bradley alongside Danny Green, though they sacrifice playing with a traditional point guard. However, the presence of LeBron renders the point guard a bit less necessary in this scenario and given Bradley’s history playing all over the backcourt, this lineup could wind up seeing some heavy minutes.