The NBA recently announced that the 2020-21 season will begin on December 22. This gives the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat the least amount of time for rest, but head coach Frank Vogel is ready for the challenge.

“The 72-game season we’re about to endure is something that we feel good about,” Vogel said. “Obviously, it’s been a super quick turnaround for the team, the shortest offseason in the history of the NBA, but this is a team that embraces challenges. This is just the next challenge in line for us.”

The Lakers and the Heat get just a 71-day offseason. While the NBPA voted for it, both Lakers stars, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, have expressed their displeasure regarding the situation. But coach Vogel seems more optimistic.

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Eager to defend the title

Vogel later expressed how he wanted to repeat their championship win, even though the road to the title is tougher now.

He said, “The opportunity to dive into all the challenges that come with trying to repeat as an NBA champion is something that myself, my staff and the front office are looking forward to. Our players are ready to go.

“Last year was about system implementation and trying to tweak the plan and put it all together. This season we’ll have more strength behind what we are doing, right from the start.”

The last team to defend the NBA title were the Warriors, who did it back in 2018. LeBron was on the wrong end of the result that time, but now he will be eager to win.

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Will the short off-season negatively affect the Lakers?

The Lakers have one of the oldest rosters in the league. And it’s very likely that they don’t have any major roster changes for the upcoming season. So the short off-season affects them the most. While LeBron will be able to manage, the rest might not. So it will be a challenge for Vogel and his men to hit the hardwood before Christmas.

Despite this, they will still be one of the favorites to win the title. After their 2019-20 performance, one cannot rule out the Lakers at all.