If Frank Vogel is going out, he’s going out with a bang.
The Los Angeles Lakers coach benched his $44 million guard at the end of his team’s 111-104 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. The Lakers trailed by seven points when Russell Westbrook was subbed out with just under four minutes remaining. They ended up losing by seven points.
Westbrook did not speak with the media after the game.
Vogel was asked after the game why he benched Westbrook. He gave a savage reply and did not go politically correct.
Asked why Russell Westbrook finished the game on the bench Frank Vogel said he was “playing the guys I thought we’re gonna win the game.”
— Bill Oram (@billoram) January 20, 2022
Yes, Vogel said he was “playing the guys I thought we’re gonna win the game.”
That is the truth, and it’s not often you hear a coach say something like that.
Reports have said that Vogel is on the hot seat and that the Lakers were evaluating him on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps feeling that he is being scapegoated by the Lakers, Vogel may have benched Westbrook to send a message that he feels Westbrook is a problem.
The view around the league seems to be that the Lakers’ roster is their biggest issue, not the coaching. Vogel seems to be sending the same message.
