The Los Angeles Lakers have officially parted ways with head coach Frank Vogel. But that’s only after Vogel found out about the news byways of a Woj Bomb, rather than hearing it from the organization itself.
No matter, the Lakers will now be on the hunt for the next head coach of the franchise. And with how well they handled things this time around, candidates should be knocking down the door, right?
All joking aside, there are a ton of coaches who would love to coach a team as prestigious as the Lakers. According to Shams Charania (subscription required), however, the Lakers already have their eyes on someone.
Nick Nurse would be foolish to join the Los Angeles Lakers
Charania reported that the Lakers are eyeing Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse as their top choice. They hope to lure him away from the Raptors with a core of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as well as the LA market.
But let me pose one, very important question – why would Nurse ever leave the Raptors for the Lakers? Not only is that a downgrade in terms of the roster, but it would also be a downgrade in regard to the team environment.
First and foremost, yes – the Raptors’ roster is worlds ahead of the Lakers’ roster. Toronto went 48-34 this year and Los Angeles went 33-49. They had more losses than the Raptors had wins – and the Raptors are the five seed!
James and Davis are great, but outside of that, Los Angeles’ roster is a mess. Why would Nurse leave the Raptors? They’re a team with two All-Stars, a future All-Star, and a core of young, promising players.
And while everyone seems to love Los Angeles, Toronto has objectively been the better sports city for the last ten years. And to be honest, it hasn’t been close.
Since this date (April 11) in 2012, the Lakers have gone 340-467, made four postseason appearances, and won one championship. Meanwhile, the Raptors have gone 486-322, made seven postseason appearances, and won one championship.
Plus, the Toronto fanbase adores Nurse. Meanwhile, Lakers fans would likely turn on him at the first sign of trouble. And evidently, so would the organization?
Why would Nurse ever want to leave a place where he is beloved for a city that cuts ties with people at the first sign of danger? That’s absurd. Nurse is not leaving Toronto, especially not for the Lakers.