Frank Vogel could be out in Indy

Bird can't be pleased with his team's output in recent months
As you may have heard by now, the Indiana Pacers have turned into an absolute trainwreck the past few months. For most of the season, the Pacers were dominant. They were clicking on all cylinders with star power in Paul George, a budding force in Lance Stephenson, and a 7'2 rim protector in Roy Hibbert. However, after trading for Andrew Bynum (coincidence?) the wheels started to come off. Distractions seem to pop up on a weekly basis with this squad now, whether it's promiscuous behavior amongst the team, Roy Hibbert watching cartoons in the third quarter (of his own team's basketball game), or Stephenson and Turner allegedly squaring off before game one (of the NBA PLAYOFFS). Not the best recipe for success.

As a result of these mounting disasters, ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting that Frank Vogel is on the hot seat, and may be out if Indy can't figure it out and get back to midseason form:

"Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that Vogel, despite a 56-win season that secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, is "coaching for his job" in the wake of Indiana's alarming slide that has stretched into its third month.

Following Indiana's 101-85 triumph over Atlanta in Game 2 of the teams' first-round series, sources told ESPN.com that coming back to win the series against the Hawks would not automatically ensure Vogel's safety....

The decision on whether to retain Vogel at season's end ultimately rests with Pacers president Larry Bird, sources said, but frustration throughout the organization has been mounting thanks to a nosedive that began in February with a loss in Orlando just before the All-Star break and has shown few signs of abating."

UPDATE:

Indiana Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard tweeted the following:



Well played, Pritchard. Well played.

Looks like Vogel is safe for now, and he probably should be. Vogel is a winning coach. He took a lost Pacers team and gave the Bulls hell in the playoffs as a first year coach. If he is cut loose, you can bet that teams will be lined up outside his door this summer.
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