Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has come under fire all season long for his team not playing up to expectations. A video has now gone viral on X of Ham breaking down a jump ball during a film session.
Darvin Ham during a recent film session: pic.twitter.com/v5GQWuin8Y
— 🏆LakersGuru🏆 (@GuruLakers) March 2, 2024
Some fans ridiculed Ham for it, but I would say that’s good coaching. If you want to win, every single aspect of the game has to be looked into. Ham saw a misalignment in that jump ball situation and wanted to ensure the Lakers got it right the next time.
If there was a situation late in a close game where the Lakers players were in the wrong position and they didn’t get the ball as a result, Ham would have been blasted. The 50-year-old would have been called out for not accounting for every situation, which is what he is doing here.
While I wouldn’t say that Ham has done an outstanding job as head coach this season, it is a bit unfair how he has become the scapegoat at this point. He gets no credit when the Lakers win but gets almost all the blame when they lose.
This unfortunately happens often when a team that came into the season with a lot of expectations fails to deliver. The Lakers made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 2023 and were expected to have a strong 2023-24 season. Instead, they find themselves down at ninth in the Western Conference with a 34-29 record.
Despite growing calls from Lakers fans for their head coach to be fired, the front office has continued to back him. That might change, however, depending on how this season ends, as it has been reported that Ham could lose his job if the Lakers don’t make the playoffs.
It would be a disaster if LA doesn’t make it in and I wouldn’t be surprised if Ham gets fired if they fall short. Even if you believe the Lakers roster isn’t all that great, it’s more than good enough to make the postseason. I do believe they will eventually make it in, but they might have to go through the play-in tournament.
LeBron James Reportedly Ignores Ham’s Playcalls
Earlier this season, it was reported that there was discontent brewing between Ham and the Lakers players. It would appear the situation hasn’t gotten much better, as a Lakers insider claimed that LeBron James overrides Ham’s plays during timeouts and team huddles.
“He sits in the huddle and gets his rest/water, rolls his eyes as Ham speaks and waits for the huddle to break,” one source close told Lakers Daily’s Anthony Irwin. “If Ham ever does draw up a play, as soon as the huddle breaks, James will tell everyone else on the court with him ‘f— all that’ and calls a play of his own.”
A video had also emerged previously of James looking visibly frustrated by Ham’s play-call. The relationship between the two is one that has been analyzed an awful lot this season with how the Lakers have struggled. In some ways, you would think that Ham’s future does depend on LeBron.
James could be a free agent this summer if he opts out of his $51.4 million player option for 2024-25. If he really wants a new head coach, I doubt the Lakers would hesitate to get rid of Ham.
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