Through 14 games, the 2021-22 season for the Lakers had been a struggle, filled with injuries, frustration and inconsistency. But there had been at least some signs, here and there, that things might be improving. Anthony Davis has been pretty excellent throughout. Russell Westbrook has been growing incrementally better, some intermittent Westbrookian hiccups notwithstanding. LeBron James should be returning soon. So with all that, the Lakers took the floor Monday against the Chicago Bulls in something of a test game, as they head out Tuesday to start their first real road trip of the season. They failed. Badly. Chicago outplayed L.A. in every meaningful facet, reminding everyone that this Lakers group is a very long way from true title contention. How they navigate the path towards that elite level remains to be seen, but it'll be one with a lot more tension and speculation than anything they've seen over the last two seasons. Monday's game reinforced how dependent the team is on having the Big Three intact, and particularly the dependence on LeBron James. The supporting cast showed its limitations (though Talen Horton-Tucker finished with 28 points and six rebounds). And we're all left asking just how good this group can reasonably be expected to be, particularly on defense. At least until they get healthy. And with any team with this kind of profile, star power and expectations, a slow start is going to focus attention on the head coach. How much of this - whether looking just at Monday's loss or the season as a whole - is on Frank Vogel? How much is on Rob Pelinka? How much is on circumstance and bad luck? More fans are having that conversation, and the natives are getting restless. Without question, the first 15 games have turned the fate of the head coach into a talking point in ways it hasn't been since Vogel was hired. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: What went wrong vs. Chicago. The Bulls had a great plan for Davis. What was the counter? SEGMENT 2: Should we still be surprised when the team doesn't defend well, especially when LeBron is out? Is the bigger problem the offense? SEGMENT 3: The conversations about Frank Vogel's future have started. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices