Just hours ahead of a showdown against LeBron James‘ former team, Darvin Ham spoke to the media on the state of his Lakers team. At 17-17 on the season, things have not been smooth sailing for the franchise but Ham is unshaken by the ongoing struggles. In fact, he still has faith that they can turn things around, just like they did last season.
“We were 14-20 at this time last year. So, we’ve seen it. It’s not as extreme, it’s definitely uncomfortable,” said Ham via Dave McMenamin. “But being 17-17, having a couple of days after the New Year to get focused on ourselves … Basically came to the conclusion that there’s more than enough in the room.”
The Lakers were on fire during the in-season tournament but have since cooled off to go 3-7 in their last 10 games. At 10th in the West, they are once again sitting in play-in territory and are facing an uphill climb back up the standings. Fortunately, the Lakers have experience coming back from behind and they could have an opportunity to do it again this season.
Miraculous Mid-Season Turnaround
The Lakers started off 2-10 last season before somehow making a run to the Western Conference Finals. During the Russell Westbrook era, the Lakers struggled to find a rhythm and failed to develop any cohesion on the court or in the locker room. By the end of it, things were so toxic that Russ was compared to a “vampire” sucking life out of the team. Fortunately, Rob Pelinka was able to find a new team for Westbrook and the Lakers took off in impressive fashion, closing the season at 27-16 with their new rotation. It ultimately wasn’t good enough to win the title, but it was still impressive given where they started.
The Lakers were seemingly a different team after the trade, and they were hoping to capture that same energy this season when they ran it back with the same core. So far, despite mostly the same roster, the results have not been the same and the franchise is looking for answers. At this point, another series of trades may be the only way out but it’s still a long shot at best.
Can Lakers Bounce Back?
As bad as things look now, it’s impossible to count the Lakers out. Even at 39 years old, LeBron James remains one of the best players in the world and his motor hasn’t stopped after 20+ seasons. This season, through 31 games, he’s averaging 25.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists on 53% shooting. Put that alongside Anthony Davis‘ consistent two-way play, and it’s easy to see why the Lakers are always lurking as a potential threat.
But for this team to get any real traction in the deep Western Conference, they’ll need help from the other guys. Only with help from role-players like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and D’Angelo Russell can they hope to make a run. And if those guys can’t get it done, expect them to do whatever it takes to find players who can. We already know from last season that Rob is not afraid to make the tough decision…
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