After a disastrous 2021-22 NBA season the Los Angeles Lakers made the easiest move imaginable: they fired head coach Frank Vogel.
Vogel obviously wasn’t the biggest issue for L.A. last year. That was the makeup of the roster and all the bad decisions that went into it by the front office.
But getting rid of him was the quickest and simplest move the organization could make.
Now the question becomes: who will replace Vogel?
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard has frequently been mentioned as a potential candidate. This week, NBA insider Marc Stein weighed in on the viability of that hiring.
“Michigan’s Juwan Howard is known to hold James’ respect after their time together in Miami but is said to be firm in his desire to stay with the Wolverines to coach sons Jace and Jett,” he wrote.
That aligns with something Bleacher Report NBA insider Eric Pincus wrote recently.
“The Lakers do not seem interested in saddling a first-time coach with championship expectations,” he noted.
“That may not apply to Juwan Howard, who has ties to Pelinka and James, was an assistant with the Miami Heat and previously interviewed with the franchise in 2019. While the Lakers may have interest in Howard, it’s unclear if he’s open to leaving Michigan with two of his sons on next year’s roster.”
One year ago, Michigan signed Howard to a five-season contract extension that runs through 2026. In three years with the Wolverines, he has gone 61-32 — never advancing past the Elite Eight.
Is that really what the Lakers need right now? It’s unclear.
That’s one way to move on. https://t.co/xAnznPTAKe
— Game 7 (@game7__) May 3, 2022
All in all, the franchise is in a rough place at the moment. Chatter about a potential Anthony Davis trade is growing louder and louder. James appears to be scoping out which squad he hopes to land with next. Russell Westbrook is as nuts as he has been all year.
Is Howard the solution? Will he be the man who can step in and fix all that?
Time will tell.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.