The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a disappointing first-round exit one year after winning an NBA Championship. Head coach Frank Vogel was given a much different team to work with than the one he had in 2019-20, but one that arguably had much more talent.
However, injuries wound up being the defining factor in L.A.’s season, something Vogel had no control over.
As a coach, Vogel led the Lakers to the NBA’s top-rated defense for the first time in over 20 years. He did this with a rotation that was constantly in flux due to a revolving door of injuries.