In a vacuum, the Lakers decision to hire Frank Vogel is a good one. Vogel is more the coach that oversaw Indiana’s rise to conference contender in 5 ½ years than the one who spent two seasons with the sputtering Magic. He has no history with LeBron James but he was chief strategist for the Eastern Conference team that gave James the most difficulty during his four years in Miami, which should earn him some respect.
But this isn’t a vacuum, this is Los Angeles, where the complexity of the situation and the forces that could be working against Vogel from Day 1 could rise to a Lannister-like level.