After losing at home to the Heat on Wednesday, Lakers coach Darvin Ham was officially moved to the hot seat. With players, fans, and analysts going out of their way to question his lineups and rotations, Ham has been at the front and center of outrage for Lakers Nation. But according to former Nuggets coach George Karl, Anthony Davis is partly to blame for this mess, even more so than Ham.
“Maybe it’s not a Darvin problem in Laker town,” wrote the former Nuggets coach on X.
Maybe it’s not a Darvin problem in Laker town 🧐 pic.twitter.com/cZducUbWVv
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) January 4, 2024
There is no singular person responsible for this recent play, but Anthony Davis may be among the most deserving of blame given his role on the team. As the team’s best defensive player, with a dominating presence inside, Davis is often recognized as one of the 10 best players in the game even if he doesn’t always play like it. and now, with the Lakers sliding, people are rethinking how they rank the All-Star big man.
Anthony Davis Needs To Step Up
In New Orleans, we saw Anthony Davis carry a lackluster Pelicans team night after night. It was there where he became an All-Star, and there where he first learned how to dominate both ends of the floor. But since coming to the Lakers, and winning the championship in 2020, Davis hasn’t quite been able to match that level of production. This season, through 33 games, he’s averaging 25.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game on 55% shooting.
The problem for Davis is inconsistency. For whatever reason, the big fella struggles to put together long stretches of good play, and his performance (especially on offense) is unpredictable from game to game. This trend has made life difficult for the Lakers, who constantly have to rely on guys like Reaves, Reddish, and Rui Hachimura to fill in the gaps and make up the difference when Davis is having an off night. Unless he can find some consistency and make it a point to deliver every single game, Davis will never fulfill his potential as a leader and the Lakers will continue to be held back from title contention.
Darvin Ham’s Questionable Moves
The problems with Davis are just one side of the coin. On the other side is head coach Darvin Ham himself. Whether George Karl likes to admit it or not, Darvin deserves at least some fault for the situation. It’s no secret that he’s been tweaking the rotation all season long in search of answers, and it’s got everyone questioning their role. Then there’s the unspoken beef with Austin Reaves, who deserves more minutes and touches this season.
After firing Frank Vogel, Darvin Ham was supposed to be the voice to bring stability and cohesion back to a roster that was decimated by Russell Westbrook drama. But with Westbrook gone and a whole set of new problems to address, there are growing doubts that Darvin is the best guy to coach this aging group of veterans. Either way, the key to his success and the Lakers’ continued prosperity, rests on the shoulders of Davis. He will have to be the best version of himself to gain any traction in this season, but help is on the way and it shouldn’t be long before we see a different version of this group on the floor together.
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