The Lakers lost again in today's game, losing 105-112 to the Denver Nuggets, what appears to be their most straightforward loss of the series. The Nuggets managed to turn the tide of the game in the third quarter by cleverly exploiting Aaron Gordon's size. The Lakers' lack of interior height was exposed in this game, and their inability to put Anthony Davis directly against Jokic has become a key pain point for the Lakers against the Nuggets.
After the last loss, Davis questioned the Lakers' coaching staff's tactical set-up, arguing that the team looked disorganized on both ends of the floor. As head coach, Ham is undoubtedly under a lot of pressure. However, we must recognize that Davis's complaints are not unfounded. He was hot in the last game, but only had limited shots in the second half. At the same time, his restrictions on Jokic in the first two games also showed how important he is to the team.
Despite the criticism of Ham, we cannot ignore his shining points in his coaching career. He's not a coach level, but he's shown great adjustment ability in some short-term series. However, in the face of a strong opponent like the Nuggets, the Lakers' hole cards seem to have been exhausted in the first two games. Due to the failure of wing reinforcements, the Lakers' backcourt remains short and unathletic, making them vulnerable to the Nuggets' interior attack.
Today's race proved that once again. Although the Lakers took the lead at the start of the game, they were never able to pull away. The Nuggets tightened the score with offensive rebounds, and Aaron Gordon played well throughout the game, scoring 29 points and 15 rebounds, both of which were career highs. His dominance on the interior has left the Lakers overwhelmed, highlighting the Lakers' weakness on the interior defense.
The Lakers' predicament in this series is not purely technical, but rather a roster flaw that makes them look helpless against the Nuggets. Although the Lakers have improved from last year, the same problems remain. If they can't solve these problems, then they will have a hard time crossing the Nuggets mountain. This may be a question for general manager Pelinka to ponder, not just the responsibility of head coach Ham.