Lakers Coach Frank Vogel On NBA Season: 'I Think We're Still A Long Way Away From Returning To Play"
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- On Friday, May 8, some NBA teams will begin to re-open their practice facilities to allow players to begin working out individually in states where stay at home orders have been lifted. The league has issued guidelines to teams regarding how many people can be in the facility, whether group training is allowed, etc.
The Los Angeles Lakers will not be among those teams and their head coach Frank Vogel didn't seem to concerned about that when he spoke with reporters on a conference call Wednesday.
"There's a competitive balance element to this that I personally am not really all that concerned about," Vogel said on a video conference call with reporters on Wednesday according to ESPN. "I think we're still a long way away from returning to play."
The ESPN report states that the Lakers contacted the Los Angeles mayor's office about possibly having players return to the training facility prior to the end of the city's stay-at-home order on May 15. But, on Wednesday's call, Vogel offered no firm timeline for when players may return to the facility.
Despite cautioning reporters that the return of game action is still a ways away, he remains optimistic that the league will figure out a viable plan. The Lakers coach would prefer to have a few exhibition games to get players back into game shape before re-starting the season, though he recognizes that may not be possible depending on the return to play scenario.
When the league paused action, the Lakers held the best record in the Western Conference at 49-14 and had already clinched a playoff berth, their first since 2013.
