Frank Vogel’s Decision To Sit Russell Westbrook Supported By Lakers’ Front Office

Lakers coach Frank Vogel has received the “green light” from Lakers management to play starting point guard Russell Westbrook as much or as little as Vogel sees fit, per a report from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Vogel sat Westbrook for the final 3:52 of the Lakers’ home loss to the Pacers on Wednesday, with the decision being called into question by some. Westbrook left the arena without speaking to reporters.

“You gotta do what you gotta do,” McMenamin quoted a source close to the situation as saying.

Westbrook was 5-of-17 shooting when Vogel pulled him from the game and opted to go with guard Malik Monk in the closing minutes.

“(I was) playing the guys that I thought were going to win the game,” Vogel told reporters.

Westbrook was acquired in a multiteam trade with the Wizards during the offseason, but has proven to be a clunky fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis (when healthy).

Along with that, Vogel himself has come under fire lately and believed to be on the hot seat.

Lakers now hit road for six straight on East coast. Frank Vogel will still be coach when they board the plane …

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) January 20, 2022

The Lakers followed up a 37-point loss to the Nuggets over the weekend with a win over the Jazz. Then came the loss to the Pacers, a team that hadn’t beaten the Lakers in LA since November 2015.

James, however, seemed to defend Vogel and the rest of the coaching staff.

“Coaching staff has been great,” he said. “They’ve put us in a position to succeed and we have to take care of business. … There’s no blame.”

Forward Carmelo Anthony also answered a question about Vogel’s decision, indicating it was likely all related to basketball and trying to win the game.

“I don’t think it’s nothing personal,” Anthony said. “It’s just something that he’s not used to. You would think somebody like that would be on the court. But with the flow of the game, there’s been times I haven’t been in the game or other guys haven’t been in the game. So I don’t think it’s anything personal.”

The Lakers (22-23) sit in eighth place in the Western Conference and tip off a six-game trip to the East Coast on Friday in Orlando.