GAYA nang inaasahan ng marami, tinanggal si Frank Vogel bilang head coach ng Los Angeles Lakers matapos ang nakadidismayang performance ng koponan ngayong season.
Eksaktong 18 buwan matapos niyang maihatag ang ika-17 kampeonato ng Lakers, ibinasura si Vogel ng team, na nabigong makapasok man lang sa play-in tournament at itinuturing na “one of the most disappointing seasons in NBA history.”
Tumapos ang Los Angeles na may 33-49 record na para sa Lakers fans ay “humiliating underachievement for LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and a veteran-laden supporting cast widely expected to contend for another championship.”
Hanggang next season pa sana ang kontrata ni Vogel ngunit nagdesisyon sina Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka at owner Jeanie Buss na tapusin na ang ugnayan nila.
“Today is not going to be a day of finger-pointing and unwinding all the specific reasons,” wika ni Pelinka. “We just felt organizationally, at the highest level, it was time for a new voice. …That’s not to say anything against the incredible accomplishments that Frank Vogel has had. He was a great coach here, and he’s going to go on to be a great coach somewhere else.”
Bago napunta sa Lakers, si Vogel ay former coach ng Orlando at Indiana. At sa unang taon niya sa Los Angeles, napagkampeon niya ang team sa Florida bubble noong Oktubre 2020, ngunit nabigong makausad sa playoff sa dalawang sumunod na season.
Ayon kay Pelinka, wala siyang plano na humanap agad ng kapalit ni Vogel. Aniya, “it would be great” to have a coach in place before the draft in June, but the Lakers’ search will be ‘thorough and methodical’.”
Inamin din ni Pelinka na “disappointing” ang season para sa koponan lalo’t inakala nilang makababawi sila matapos kunin si Westbrook para makumpleto ang kanilang Big 3 kasama sina James at Davis, idagdag pa ang veteran player na si Anthony.
“At the end of the day, the reason why we weren’t very good together is we weren’t on the damn floor together,” depensa naman ng 37-year old na si James. “You never got a chance to see what the ballclub could be.”
KINGS COACH
TALSIK DIN
PINATALSIK din ng Sacramento Kings si interim coach Alvin Gentry, isang araw matapos mabigo ang team na makapasok sa playoffs sa NBA 16th straight season.
Na-promote ang 67-year-old na si Gentry mula associate head coach tungo sa interim coach matapos sipain ng Kings si Luke Walton noong Nobyembre 2021 matapos ang 6-11 start ng Sacramento, na nagtapos sa 30-52 win-loss record.
Bago mapunta sa Kings, si Gentry ay naging head coach ng New Orleans Pelicans (2015-20). Nagkaroon din siya ng head coaching stops sa Miami, Detroit, Clippers at Phoenix, at may career record 534-636.
“The entire Kings organization is grateful for the leadership of Alvin Gentry, who stepped up when he got the call mid-season,” pahayag ni general manager Monte McNair. “We appreciate his leadership on and off the court.”
Matatandaang marami ang nagulat nang tinrade ng Sacramento ang kanilang budding star na si Tyrese Haliburton at former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III. Sa kabila nito, tumapos na 12th sa Western Conference ang Kings, na nakaabante sa playoffs simula noong 2006.
Ang Sacramento ay ranked 16th sa scoring ngayong season, ngunit 29th lang sa defense sa kabila ng pagkakaroon ng isang de kalibreng rookie gaya ni Davion Mitchell. Ang Kings ay 27th Naman sa rebounding at 24th sa 3-point shooting.
Ang inaasahang point guard ng team na si De’Aaron Fox ay hindi naglaro ng 23 games dahil sa iba’t ibang injuries. Samantalang si two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, nakapalitan ni Haliburton at Buddy Hield na na-trade sa Indiana Pacers, bagama’t maganda ang simula sa Sacramento ay hindi nakalaro sa final nine games dahil sa knee injury. (DENNIS IÑIGO)
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