With All-Star weekend on the horizon, there is no denying that the Lakers have been among the league’s most disappointing teams so far. At 17-18, the Lakers are far from where they want to be as a unit, and head coach Darvin Ham is at the front and center of it all. Speaking on his podcast, former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas became the latest to challenge Darvin’s schemes. Specifically, he challenged the notion that Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince should be getting any significant playing time.
“As long as they on this team, that MFer with the bald head & the bump going to keep putting they asses in…it’s like he’s trying to relive his career and wish someone put his sorry ass in the game.”
"As long as they on this team, that motherf**ker with the bald head and the bump going to keep putting they asses in the game!”
Gilbert Arenas goes OFF on the Lakers 👀 pic.twitter.com/qlvms0yrMQ
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) January 4, 2024
Darvin has favored defensive-minded players throughout his tenure as coach and it’s why he has typically gone bigger with his go-to lineups. This season, however, coach is having trouble finding any formula that works and it’s left him to lean on streaky role-players like Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, and Rui Hachimura. To Darvin’s credit, there isn’t much else to work with on the roster but his rotations and constant lineup changes have certainly not helped to quell the dysfunction.
Ham Is On The Hot Seat
After taking over from Frank Vogel, and leading the Lakers to an inspiring playoff run in 2023, there was a lot of hope that Darvin Ham could be a permanent staple in Los Angeles. It didn’t take long for fans to turn on him this season, and now people are calling for his job as rumors of a disconnect in the locker room grow louder by the day. On the court, fans are puzzled by Ham’s recent starting lineup change, which involved LeBron James at point guard with Cam Reddish and Jarred Vanderbilt on the wing.
Meanwhile, the Lakers’ third-best player and best perimeter shooter (Austin Reaves) remains on the bench with limited minutes. Needless to say, Darvin Ham will have a lot to answer for if things do not turn around quickly. In what could be one of LeBron James’ final seasons, there isn’t any time to waste on a coach who is still learning on the fly. Of course, finding a replacement for Ham is much easier said than done and it’s why they might want to think twice before letting him walk.
Next Move For The Lake Show
With weeks to go before the NBA trade deadline, the Lakers still have plenty of time to see what they’ve got. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis both playing well, the next move is to beef up that supporting cast and give them enough support to make an honorable title run.
As for Ham, the drama has only just begun. As long as the Lakers struggle, he will always be at the center of outrage. At this point, the pressure has never been higher for Darvin but almost every Lakers coach finds themselves in this position at some point. It will be interesting to see how he reacts.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
