Frank Vogel discussed his expectations for the upcoming Los Angeles Lakers season, highlighting the team's three-point shooting as a key to a potentially high-powered offense.
"I think Rondo has shot the heck out of the basketball from the 3-point line...[Troy] Daniels, the shooting. And what I love, more than individual speaking, is the shooting that we have. At every position. Aside from our two rolling centers, everybody has the ability to carry a threat from the 3-point line. I think when you have that type of supporting cast around elite offensive players, you’re going to be a good team," Vogel told Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.
Vogel added that he will adapt the Lakers defense to defend a three-point heavy league.
"The offensive evolution has changed that whole mindset of camping out a rim protector for 48 minutes...Most teams play at least half the game with five 3-point shooters out there. Sometimes the whole game. The Raptors, for all the credit they got with (Pascal) Siakim and Kawhi (Leonard) and the ‘size’ they play with … Serge (Ibaka) and Marc Gasol are 3-point shooting 5’s, so they played 48 minutes with five 3-point shooters out there. So it’s difficult to guard and it’s difficult to take a McGee or a Howard and say, ‘OK now we’re going to take care of everything at the rim,’ because they’re guarding strong side corner, they’re guarding the top of the key, they’re not just in the dunker all the time," said Vogel.
Vogel also addressed load-management issues, saying that he would take each player on a case-by-case situation.
"It doesn’t mean Player X on a lottery team should be sitting out (when healthy), or Player X on a top team should be sitting out, a healthy guy, a random game in December. You have to follow the recommendation of your medical team. That’s what it comes down to."