Speaking on the Gilbert Arenas Show, former NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin opened up on the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Amid a two-game deficit to the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers are reeling and Martin says it’s Darvin Ham’s fault for not utilizing Anthony Davis.
“When Anthony Davis is on the floor, he should be featured,” said Martin. “Even with LeBron on the floor, he should be featured. Me and Darvin [Ham] gonna have to a conversation. We have a clear advantage right here. And while I’m on the floor, how many plays you got in the motherf**kin’ whatever that little card is that got #3 above the motherf**ker?”
“Me and Darvin [Ham] gonna have to a conversation. We got a clear advantage right here. And while I’m on the floor, how many plays you got in the motherf**kin’ whatever that little card is that got #3 above the motherf**ker?”
Kenyon Martin says LeBron and Darvin Ham need to have… pic.twitter.com/6opcLzVLnT
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) April 23, 2024
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to run the offense through LeBron James and he’s managed to do a pretty good job getting everyone involved. Even so, the Lakers can be passive to a detriment when the game is on the line. In the series against the Nuggets so far, Davis has been the hot hand under the rim and his dominance has been the only reason they’ve been within striking distance. Down the stretch of these games, however, the Lakers are often looking for James, Austin Reaves, or D’Angelo Russell to generate points while Davis is burdened with the primary defensive assignments.
Much like the Nuggets and how they lean on Nikola Jokic, Martin and Arenas want to see the Lakers put the ball in Davis’ hands and let him go to work with the ultimate freedom. With an average of 32 points per game already through the first two games, Davis can be even better if the Lakers make it a point to feed him consistently throughout their games. Now, it’s just a matter of changing the game plan with hopes that the Nuggets will be unable to keep up.
Darvin Ham Is On The Hot Seat
Anthony Davis may be the x-factor for the Lakers, but Darvin Ham is the one calling the shots and many believe that his questionable strategies have cost the Lakers several wins already.
While Ham has expressed confidence that his job is not in jeopardy, that could change in the event of another series sweep against the Denver Nuggets. Last year, the Lakers had no answer for Nikola Jokic and the crew but there was hope coming into this series that they might figure out a plan to slow him down.
Unfortunately for the Purple and Gold, that just hasn’t been the case in the first two games so far and it’s looking increasingly likely that the Nuggets will win in a 4-0 sweep for the second straight year. At this point, Darvin Ham isn’t just coaching to save the season, he’s coaching to save his job.
Between questionable rotations and ill-advised quotes, Lakers fans have all but turned on the second-year coach and even LeBron James expressed some frustration with his decisions. Sadly for Ham, if he fails to get results this time, nobody will be surprised if he’s replaced this summer for a fresh voice in the locker room. Potential names include Phil Handy, Terry Stotts, and Dave Joerger.
For now, until the tough decisions are made in the offseason, the best that Ham can do is try and re-think his strategy to turn the situation around and find some kind of way to keep up with the defending champions.
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