WHEN discussions about the 2020 NBA Finals come up, there’s little conversation as to how a great job Frank Vogel has done in order to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to where they are right now.
But one of his fellow NBA coaches can attest to how brilliant Vogel has been in handling the Lakers and putting them on the cusp of another championship.
“He has always had the respect of the coaches,” Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams said during a recent Republika Huddle episode. “What he’s done with Indiana was not easy. He was really close to getting to the finals. They just couldn’t get through Miami.”
Williams was referring to the time Vogel was the coach of the Indiana Pacers from 2011 to 2016 where he led the Pacers to twice to the Eastern Conference finals before bowing to the James-led Heat.
The 47-year-old Vogel is in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, taking the team to the top spot in the Western Conference with a 52-19 win-loss record. In the bubble, the Lakers were 15-4 in the playoffs and the finals before Game Five.
“He went to Orlando and had a young team and getting the opportunity with the Lakers with all the expectations, no one can criticize the job he has done there,” said Williams.
The story of the NBA Finals so far has been how LeBron James and Anthony Davis have carried the Lakers closer to their 17th championship, but Williams said the ability of Vogel to also bring the best out of the role players is what’s making him a great coach in these finals.
“Anytime you show the ability to handle high-level talent, that’s a huge compliment and that’s what he has done… That’s a skill. Coach Vogel has done an extremely remarkable job of putting those guys in a position to be really good.”
Vogel mentioned the likes of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso, whose play has also galvanized the Lakers in the finals.
“Look at KCP, he has played some of his best basketball. The ability in this day and age to play three bigs. They play Anthony [Davis], JaVale McGee, and Dwight Howard. That’s hard at this day and age. He is getting the most out [Alex] Caruso. People didn’t even know that Caruso was in the G League recently and now, he is playing a huge role in the finals on a really good team,” said Williams.
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