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Vogel doesn't think his job with the Lakers is in danger.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel isn't worried about his job security. (0:41)
10:37 PM
Just 15 months after guiding the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA championship, Frank Vogel was once again asked about his job security.
"I don't feel like I'm under siege," he said before the Pacers beat the Lakers. I'm focused on the task at hand and it's not hard to do my job. I've always been that way.
The Lakers' defense allowed 125 points or more in each of their three losses, and according to various reports, the job of coach Frank Vogel was in jeopardy.
According to sources, the Lakers' front office could have felt compelled to remove Vogel from his post if L.A. had suffered a similar result against Utah.
The Lakers beat the Jazz 101-95 in their most complete performance of the season. The Lakers were able to hold the league's top offense to just 37.3% shooting and beat the Western Conference's top team despite missing Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony.
The Pacers came into the night having lost 10 of their previous 11 contests, but Vogel was able to press on, even though he was asked about the tenuous time as he prepared to face them.
He said it was not up to him whether it was fair or not. Being the Lakers coach comes with the territory. We have high expectations. The fan base really cares. I wouldn't want it to be any other way, it's a big market. I want people to care, I want people to want the best, and I want excellence out of our group. That's what we tell ourselves; that's how it is.
It was the second time this season that Vogel addressed questions about his job performance, a line of questioning that was almost invited by the Lakers after granting him a one-year contract extension in the summer. Despite the fact that his playoff record winning percentage puts him third in franchise history behind Pat Riley and Paul Westhead, the financial commitment came despite that.
The Lakers' front office, including vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka as well as senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis, have been business as usual, even with L.A.'s recent struggles.
"I meet with the front office," he said. We talked about the previous night's game. Every game. All year. It has been that way for three years. It has not been different this week or in the last few days.
The relationship with the front office is healthy and he has not been given feedback about his job performance.
He said that everyone is working together to get this thing going in the right direction. We all have a great working relationship and we're trying to figure out things together. I feel good about our process, and we won a championship this way.
The team has future Hall of Famers and is expecting another title run, so the scrutiny is part and parcel to manning the sidelines.
"If you're not winning at a high level, you're going to get this type of noise," he said. I block that out. I feel good about what we're doing.
The Lakers' defensive execution against the Jazz should be a lesson to his team on what they can accomplish when they bring their focus to a game. He said that he and his staff will continue to tinker with lineups and schematic concepts until Davis returns.
"I believe in what we can do this year, so I'm focused on the task at hand," he said.
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