Is the Lakers' head coach job actually a good one?
The Los Angeles Lakers have parted ways with Frank Vogel after three seasons.
Now, the Lakers — just two years removed from a championship — are looking to fill the newly vacant head coaching position.
How good is the Lakers' head coach job right now?
On "Speak For Yourself," Emmanuel Acho explained why it is still the premier job in the NBA despite all the drama surrounding Vogel's firing, and it has everything to do with LeBron James.
"The Lakers job, as long as LeBron James is present, is the best job in basketball because a head coaching job, as long as LeBron James is on the roster, is the best head coaching job in basketball," he said. "We can ask Mike Brown, Cleveland Cavaliers. Two 60-win seasons with LeBron James. But what happened with Mike Brown after he was no longer with LeBron James? The success left as he left.
"We can ask Erik Spoelstra, who did not get out of the first round [of the playoffs] prior to LeBron James' arrival [to the Miami Heat]. LeBron James arrives, [the Heat] go to the NBA Finals four consecutive times. LeBron James departs, and Erik Spoelstra gets out of the first round one time over the next five years."
"We can ask Frank Vogel. We can ask Ty Lue. Ask whatever coach you want to ask, because the fact of the matter is even Frank Vogel prior to LeBron James had never been to the NBA Finals, but arrives and … wins an NBA championship instantaneously," Acho added.
"So, how good of a head coaching job is the Lakers'? Well, how good of a player is LeBron James? One of the greatest of all time."
Since longtime coach Phil Jackson left in 2011, L.A. has cycled through five head coaches who have coached at least 70 games: Mike Brown (2011-12), Mike D'Antoni (2012-14), Byron Scott (2014-16), Luke Walton (2016-19) and Vogel (2019-22).
LA Clippers coach Lue, who played for the Lakers from 1998-2001, Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers, and Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder have been rumored to be candidates for the team's open job.
Vogel oversaw the Lakers for three seasons, winning an NBA championship in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, but it was downhill from there. L.A. made an appearance in the play-in tournament last season before losing in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. This season, the Lakers finished 11th in the West, failing to qualify for postseason play after a disappointing 33-49 season.
The Lakers lost three or more consecutive games eight different times this season, including an 8-22 mark over their last 30 games. Overall, Vogel put together a 126-98 all-time record in his three seasons in L.A.
The Lakers were the only team that failed to have any single five-man lineup play 100 minutes together this season, while the trio of James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis appeared in just 21 games as a unit.
