‘This is what I hoped’: Lakers respond to first test of depth in rout of Wolves https://t.co/Uygx90R9Af
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) December 28, 2020
Coaches have a way of turning negatives into positives. So when Frank Vogel announced on Sunday morning that Anthony Davis would miss that night’s game, he quickly turned the page.
“We want to take advantage of our depth,” he said.
Twelve hours later, after the Lakers had dismantled the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-91 with Davis watching in street clothes, Vogel reflected on his earlier statement.
“This is what I hoped we would be,” he said.
It was an emphatic message delivered in response to the first test of the Lakers’ depth this season, and it came in just the third game. This is a year that promises to be the most unpredictable in league history. Teams will need to find ways to overcome the absences of players sidelined by sickness or the league’s health and safety protocols.
“This is the out-of-the-bubble, pandemic season,” Vogel said. “This is different than the bubble season, so to speak. We’ve been talking about this since day one. The expectation and the norm for us, for most of the league, is that there will be guys out. We just have to make sure we understand that’s the norm and don’t let it slow us down at all.”
I love Frank’s description of this season: “The out-of-the-bubble, pandemic season.” And this is exactly what I also hoped for and why on the Lakers Fast Break podcasts I’ve been uber optimistic that the Lakers would dominate during the regular system despite the short offseason, compressed schedule, and load management. The Lakers’ depth is going to be their version of load management all season long. Lakers will end up as top seed.
The second unit could start for a lot of teams, and THT would be a 6MOY candidate. Very impressive.
And no one need worry about Mr Gasol😊.