On January 5, Beijing time, NBA reporter Shams and Lakers reporter Jovan Buha jointly reported that there are serious divisions within the Lakers, and there has been a disconnect between head coach Ham and the players. Six sources revealed that Hamm's recent changes to the rotation and starting lineup have caused dissatisfaction among many players, resulting in fluctuations in player form.
Beginning on Dec. 24, Ham put Russell off the bench and the starting lineup became the Big Five: James, Prince, Reddish, Van der Biao and Bushy Eyebrows. Many players within the Lakers are very confused about this, with no guards in the starting lineup and one less ball-handling point. So far this season, Ham has used 10 starting lineups.
At present, the Lakers are 17-18 and ranked 10th in the West, with a winning rate of less than 50%! The Warriors only need to win one more game to surpass the Lakers. The Lakers have lost nine of their last 12 games. Ham is responsible, but isn't there a problem with the players? After winning the mid-season tournament, the whole team was lost and went into the offseason early.
Darvin Ham was born on July 23, 1973 and played 417 games in the NBA as a player, averaging 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Ham began his career as an assistant coach in 2008 and served as an assistant coach for the Bucks from 2018 to 2022. On May 29, 2022, Ham signed a four-year contract with the Lakers, his first time as an NBA head coach.
At that time, James immediately tweeted to welcome Ham: "I'm so excited! Congratulations to Ham, welcome to you!" Brother Alphabet and Ham have worked together for many years with the Bucks, and Brother Ham also said in an interview: "Ham is the most suitable coach for the Lakers." "Ham's annual salary is about $4 million, which is not a high salary among NBA coaches.
Ham's first dilemma after taking office: how to use the Lakers 360 combination? Apparently, Ham failed to complete the task, and Willis was eventually traded by the Lakers. In the 2022-23 season, the Lakers reached the playoffs through the play-offs and went all the way to the Western Conference finals, but unfortunately they were swept by the Nuggets 0-4. Objectively speaking, Hamm's first season in charge is good.
Ham is a player by background and is popular in the league. He was an assistant coach for 14 years and was able to build relationships with big names on every team. Ham once persuaded Willis to accept the substitute, which also reflects Hamm's communication skills. Although the NBA is full of human feelings, the NBA also depends on the ability of the coach himself.
Last season, Ham was obsessed with a back three, and this season it is the opposite and he has not left a single defender on the field. There is actually another reason for the Lakers' poor record this season, the team had too many injuries in the early part of the season: Van der Biao and Vincent were out for a long time, and Russell and Hachimura were also on and off. Ham changed 10 sets of starters, and there are objective reasons.
As said before, the Lakers lost, Ham is indeed responsible, and the players are also to blame. The Lakers now have two options: 1) Ham leaves the class and changes the coach, and 2) trade players and adjust the roster. Many Lakers fans want Ham to step down, but the question is who will take over?
Most of the media looked down on Ham, believing that the Lakers would be the first to purge him! But Arenas believes that the Lakers should trade Russell and Hachimura for shooters! Do you think the Lakers will choose to fire Ham or choose to trade?