With the Los Angeles Lakers season already over, the team has already announced changes to its coaching staff. Just recently, the team and Darvin Ham mutually agreed to part ways. This season was indeed a failure for the team after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season. Not long ago, they came off a playoff series loss against the Denver Nuggets, who have seemed to have their number for some time now. Someone has to be blamed for this mess. Ham now finishes just two seasons with Los Angeles with a record of 90-74.
Analyzing The Team’s Struggles
There was a major issue with Ham as the head coach this year, and that was inconsistency. He kept changing the starting lineups and rotations early in the season, which had put the Lakers in a spot that they needed to climb themselves out of. If you think about it, if he had stayed with a rotation that featured Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura alongside Lebron James and Anthony Davis, maybe he wouldn’t be in this kind of position. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case this season. Ham decided to take a route where the Lakers would have to fight for playoff spots while playing the In-Season Tournament.
There also seemed to be disconnection within the locker room with Ham as the coach. Not everyone was satisfied with the way he came up with the game plan. Luckily, he was able to finish with a better record this year than in his first year as a Lakers coach. This season, he led the team to a record of 47-35, but he wasn’t good enough. Changes had to be made, and now, they seemed to be right.
Darvin Ham speaks on the criticisms he’s faced as the Lakers HC
(via @mcten) pic.twitter.com/WJtqWXTH5Z
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 30, 2024
Los Angeles hasn’t been near an NBA Finals since 2020 when Frank Vogel was the coach. That was the last time we saw this team dominate. Even before the pandemic, the Lakers were a very good team.
What’s Next For The Lakers?
The future does seem to loom for Los Angeles, which might also lose their key player, LeBron James, this summer to free agency. Though the expectation is to bring James back on a new deal, there have been reports that he (Lebron) might be back next season, according to ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst.
Looking ahead, the Lakers are in need of significant changes to improve their performance. Their experiment with a young team did not yield the expected results, suggesting a need for more experienced talent. The possibility of acquiring players like Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young via trade is worth considering. Additionally, exploring the veteran market, with players like Dwight Howard in mind, could bring a much-needed boost to the team.
Then there’s the coaching staff. After firing Darvin Ham and his entire coaching staff, the Lakers need a new replacement. Multiple names have been rumored to become the next head coach for LA, including JJ Reddick, Tyronn Lue, Kenny Atkinson, Terry Stotts, and even Mike Budenholzer.
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