Lakers News: Frank Vogel Talks Anthony Davis, Talen Horton-Tucker's Role, More
At 13-4, the Los Angeles Lakers are at the top of the Western Conference standings. Nevertheless, it's a long season, and the team will continue to adapt as it aims for a consecutive championship.
Firmly focused on evolving with a revamped roster, head coach Frank Vogel is consistently seeking to make game-plan and rotation adjustments. Over the past three games, tight contests gave Los Angeles cause to change.
Of the recent focal points, Vogel has emphasized a trifecta: Anthony Davis' emergence as a playmaker, Talen Horton-Tucker's limited role and the entire team's nonchalance with second-half leads.
Vogel Wants Lakers Offense to Run Through AD
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It is no secret that the Lakers are LeBron James' team—he's the leader, frequent point guard and motor. But at 36, LeBron is not getting any younger, and the continued emergence of Davis can take the weight off The King's shoulders.
As such, Vogel has recently emphasized AD's role as a playmaker on offense. Despite being 6'10", Davis is adept on all areas of the court. Vogel told SB Nation's Harrison Faigen that the team would like to start "playing through him as much as possible."
Further, Vogel has reiterated a need for AD to be aggressive—noting that his aggression segues directly into a vital passing role. As Vogel elaborated, positioning AD as a primary playmaker and passer is "something we want to continue to emphasize with him."
THT’s Role Remains in DNP Territory
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In the absence of a traditional Summer League, sophomore Horton-Tucker emerged as a preseason darling. Eye-catching numbers earned the adoration of hopeful Lakers fans but have not transitioned directly into a major role this season.
Over the past three games, Horton-Tucker has been hit with two DNPs. And, while he did play in a win over the Chicago Bulls, Vogel has confirmed that THT will miss games intermittently.
Speaking with Faigen, Vogel explained that Horton-Tucker is "part of our depth" and the staff intends to "get him in there, keep him developing."
Still, the coach's rotational plans surround not letting anyone on the roster "collect too many DNPs in a row." And, at the moment, it appears that THT is part of the DNP-adjacent group, confirming that he is liable to miss a match if it means getting someone else a return to playing time.
Breaking the Cycle of Lackadaisical Second-Halves
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Rather than starting slow, the Lakers have identified a lull when they come back from the halftime break. That has become a major point of emphasis for Vogel after the Bulls game, to the extent that he wants the lack of effort against Chicago to be a turning point moving forward.
After jumping to a 63-33 lead against the Bulls over the first two quarters, Los Angeles lost the third quarter 20-33. As Vogel explained to Faigen, the Lakers "didn't play the third quarter the way we were supposed to."
And, moving forward, he wants the team to keep the suddenly close Bulls game in mind: "Hopefully we're gonna be up again by 20 or 30 at halftime at some point, and we'll draw back on this experience and know that we didn't do well enough here and that we've got to be better in the future."
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