Frank Vogel Demolishes Russell Westbrook When Asked Why he Didn’t Play Him to End 4th Quarter vs. Pacers

Frank Vogel didn’t think Russell Westbrook would help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indianapolis Pacers. Yes, that’s exactly why he benched the Lakers veteran. The Lakers lost a game to a struggling team and things couldn’t get any worse than this. Westbrook had his bright moments throughout the game, but his struggles are a little too obvious. LA traded three players to get him, but he missed the chance to show off. Is Westbrook the best fit for the Lakers?

The media wanted to know more about Westbrook’s benching at the end of the game. Vogel’s response was sort of unexpected. He blasted the veteran. I guess the Lakers veteran is really disappointed in Westbrook. Did the Lakers make a mistake? Removing him from the game in crunch time sure means a thing.

Frank Vogel had a permission to bench Russell Westbrook

Vogel pulled Westbrook for the final 3:52 of the 111-104 loss to Indiana. Dave McMenamin from ESPN reported that the team’s management told Vogel to coach Broddie as he sees fit.

Westbrook finished the night with 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting in his 27 minutes of action.

Westbrook’s chances to stay with the team are super slim at this point. LA will definitely move him from the roster if the front office finds a suitable trade partner.

When it comes to Vogel, his job is safe for now. LA won’t make a move to fire him. The Lakers have a 22-23 record at this point of the regular season, but Rob Pelinka won’t make a personnel move. Vogel will travel with the Lakers to coach them against the Magic.

The Lakers lost the game, but LeBron James was fine with Vogel’s job. He even said that “the coaching staff has been great.” Yes, this is what Kendrick Perkins was talking about. He wanted LeBron and Anthony Davis to stand up for the head coach.

Reporters also asked LeBron if Broddie was unhappy about the benching, he said, “Have you followed Russ’ career?”

Well, this story won’t stop here. Hopefully, things won’t take the wrong direction.