Lakers' Vogel: Teams should play games before postseason starts

If the 2019-20 NBA season resumes, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel believes teams should get a chance to play each other before any kind of postseason tournament begins.

"I think we need some games," Vogel told reporters, including ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I don't know if they'd have to be regular-season games, in terms of finishing the season. Maybe they're exhibition games, you know what I mean, that you treat as sort of your dress rehearsal or whatever."

When the NBA suspended play almost two months ago on March 11, teams had anywhere between 15 and 19 regular-season games remaining. The playoffs were scheduled to begin on April 18.

"I think for the health of the league and for the health of everyone involved, the more we can get in for our league and our fans, the better," Vogel added. "So I think if there's a way to get regular-season games in, that would be great, but safety's going to be the top priority. But the biggest thing for me is that there's got to be at least some exhibition games, which I think there would be."

While many NBA players have been working out on their own during the league's hiatus, others have been limited depending on their living arrangements. It's been widely accepted that teams will require a training camp before any games can be played.

Some NBA practice facilities are set to reopen to limit participants on Friday, though the Lakers are still adhering to Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti's stay-at-home orders. Those orders will be in place until May 15, but like other teams, the Lakers could be granted an exception by the local government.