According to a new report from the Los Angeles Times' Arash Markazi, the Lakers' loss against the Eastern Conference Fish Belly Magic sparked a heated debate within the team. Stars LeBron James and head coach Darvon Ham are once again at loggerheads, this time focusing on rebounding.
In the game, the Lakers showed some weaknesses in the rebounding scramble, and the opponent controlled a lot of frontcourt rebounds. Ham was unhappy with the team's rebounding protection. However, James expressed confidence in the team's performance, believing that the team was only plagued by injuries, which had to do with the team's talent. The controversy has raised questions about whether the Lakers' internal trust relationship is in crisis.
After all, this is the second time this season that the two sides have been at odds, and the last one has been less than two weeks away. If this crisis of confidence is not resolved in time, it will have a serious impact on the Lakers' record. The Lakers have always had a rebounding problem this season, and their frequent losses to weak teams are not only defensive problems, but also related to rebounding and poor protection.
Although general manager Pelinka has strengthened the team's interior in the offseason, bringing in tall and athletic forwards and centers, these reinforcements have helped the team very little so far, and the Lakers have not been able to become the best team in rebounding.
In the post-game press conference, media reporters asked the reason for the team's loss, and head coach Ham said: "The Magic played with tenacious effort and energy, and put us under heavy pressure on the rebound. We've regressed significantly in defensive rebounding, and that's one of the two key areas we've emphasized since we entered the season: defensive transformation and rebounding defense.
Although we have a few key players out of the squad, in the end, the key is that we don't work hard enough. Overall, the mistrust between James and Ham has undoubtedly created a crisis for the Lakers. If this continues, the Lakers' future will be uncertain. However, as long as the two sides can find a way to solve the problem and re-establish a relationship of trust and cooperation, the Lakers still have hope of success this season.
In basketball, rebounding is always an important part of the game. Whether it's offensive rebounding or defensive rebounding, the impact on the team is huge. The scramble for rebounding requires players to do their best, aggressively attack, defend steadily, and when the whole team is at its best, rebounding will also bring many opportunities for the team.
However, the Lakers were clearly a little struggling to rebound against the Magic. The opponent grabbed a lot of rebounds in the frontcourt, which made head coach Ham extremely unhappy with the team's rebounding protection. He expects the team to be able to compete for rebounds with greater awareness and effort to control the tempo of the game.
However, James has put his trust in the team's performance, believing that the team is only limited by injury problems, which has to do with the team's talent. He wants the team to maintain a positive attitude and confidence, overcome difficulties, and find the best rebounding solution in the game.
However, the controversy has raised questions about whether there has been a crisis of trust within the Lakers. This is not the first time the two sides have been at odds, and it has been less than two weeks since the last one. This ongoing state of mistrust has had a serious impact on the Lakers' record.
As a strong team, the Lakers' rebounding problem this season is really a big problem. Their repeated defeats to weaker opponents are related to their lack of scramble and protection for rebounds, in addition to defensive problems. Although the team's general manager, Pelinka, is aware of the problem and has made a series of reinforcements in the offseason, bringing in physically fit forwards and centers, these reinforcements don't seem to have helped the team significantly in the games so far, and the Lakers still haven't been the best team in rebounding.
Looking back at the press conference after this match, the media reporters were very interested in the reasons for the defeat. Head coach Ham admitted in an interview: "The Magic played with great effort and energy and put a lot of pressure on us on the rebounding ball. Our defensive rebounding has regressed significantly, and it's one of the two areas that we've been focusing on before the start of the season.
Although we have some key players who are out due to injury, in the end, it comes down to not working hard and hard enough as a team. Such a statement undoubtedly highlights the problem of distrust within the Lakers. If this continues, the Lakers' outlook will be uncertain.
However, the Lakers are not without a chance to solve the problem. If the two key players can find a way to communicate and rebuild a relationship of trust and cooperation, the Lakers are still on track to succeed this season. Needless to say, rebounding is always a key part of the team's collective awareness and effort.
As an All-Star, LeBron James undoubtedly has the strength and ability to lead the team. If he can guide the team to overcome the rebounding problem and encourage his teammates to put in more effort in the scramble, I believe the Lakers can solve the current dilemma. At the same time, head coach Davin Hamm also needs to reflect on his words and actions for the team