Although Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham doesn’t seem to be on the hot seat in a real sense, a large contingent of fans have wanted him to get fired for months now.
Despite possessing a roster that many considered among the best in the NBA, he has had trouble getting it to fully jell on a consistent basis. The Lakers have won 15 of their last 23 games, but they’re only in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 34-29 record.
Analyst Jason Timpf believes Ham has gotten away from what worked, and that he is the main problem for the Purple and Gold (h/t The Cold Wire).
"I don't think Darvin Ham is up to the tactical challenge"
—@_JasonLT makes the case for the Lakers coach being the problem in LA pic.twitter.com/ojUez4h424
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) March 6, 2024
“I don’t think Darvin Ham is up to the tactical challenge. He was the one right after the in-season tournament that ditched everything that got them the in-season tournament win, and then they promptly went 3-10. He is the one that in a lot of these cases is ignoring guys that can make shots on the perimeter and letting them get into a rhythm. I want LeBron (James) and A.D. (Anthony Davis) to be like, ‘Hey! A.D., you gotta guard (Nikola) Jokic and then put me on A.G. (Aaron Gordon) and put Rui (Hachimura) over here or whatever it is you need to do to move it around. I want them to kind of take some more of that responsibility, because at the end of the day, just sitting around and letting Darvin make those types of decisions — him kind of overcoaching this year has been a big part of why they’ve been mediocre compared to their potential.”
Ham has been criticized for some of his player rotations and lineups, as well as some of his strategic decisions. There have been reports that some of his players don’t have full trust or confidence in him, and one report even said his job could be in jeopardy if the Lakers miss the playoffs.
On the other hand, some gave him praise for keeping them afloat when they struggled early last season, then guiding them to the last-season surge that got them to the Western Conference finals.
In the end, the proof will be in the pudding.
