The Los Angeles Lakers are no longer looking like the fringe contenders people assumed they would be at the start of the season. They ended 2023 with a 17-17 record, going 6-8 in December. This has led to Kendrick Perkins calling out Darvin Ham, asking him to elevate his game to give the Lakers a shot at improvement.
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“I will not let Darvin Ham off the hook. He gotta elevate his game as well, with his rotations, with his set-calling, with everything across the board. The way he staggers Bron (LeBron James) and A.D. (Anthony Davis) minutes. All across the board, Darvin Ham got to elevate his game.”
Darvin Ham is coming under increased pressure with every game that the Lakers play. There are plenty of clips of LeBron looking frustrated during play calls, be it with his coach or his teammates. Ultimately, if there is something that the Lakers can change about their squad, it’s the person coaching. Firing Ham would be extremely risky for the Lakers, but if their record keeps falling, they may not have a choice.
The Lakers are the 10th seed right now and look on pace to make it to the Play-In Tournament. But the Lakers were a top-four seed after the first week of December, since which they’ve gone 3-8 and fallen to .500. The NBA evolves fast, so the Lakers need to respond in their next five-game homestand if they still want to compete for a top-six seed.
The Lakers Walking Into A Must-Win Stretch Of Games
The Lakers have a very favorable schedule in January, as the team won’t be expected to travel as much as we have seen over November and December. They begin a five-game homestand with their Wednesday night game against the Miami Heat, followed by games against the Grizz, Clippers, Raptors, and Suns. They then have to travel to Utah for one game before returning home for games against the Thunder, Mavs, Nets, and Blazers, followed by an ‘away’ game against the Clippers.
Out of the next 11 games the Lakers have, they have to travel for only one game in Utah. They will be on their next road trip at the end of the month, traveling to Golden State to face the Warriors before a six-game road trip. That trip brings tough East opponents like the Celtics and Knicks, so the Lakers will have to maximize their manageable fixtures in January.
The Lakers are 11-4 at home this season, proving to be one of the stringer teams when it comes to defending home court. They’ll aim to win at least eight of their next 11 games, a tall task for a team that’s lost eight of their last 11 games over December. If LeBron James and Anthony Davis can’t pull these wins out, it’s likely Darvin Ham will lose his job or the Lakers make a panic trade that could end up hurting the franchise.
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