Lakers Rumors: Darvin Ham's Coaching 'Created Discontent Within the Locker Room'
Head coach Darvin Ham is reportedly receiving some internal blame for the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out in the first round of the 2023-24 NBA playoffs.
According to Shams Charania, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic, some Lakers players and officials believe Ham's "fluctuating rotations, game plans and lack of adjustments" contributed to the team falling short of expectations.
Ham's coaching also reportedly "created discontent within the locker room," which became "palpable" across the entirety of the organization.
After enjoying enormous success as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks, including winning a championship in 2021, Ham was hired as the Lakers' new head coach in 2022.
His first season in L.A. was a bumpy one with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis missing significant time due to injury, resulting in the Lakers going just 43-39.
However, Los Angeles made it through the play-in tournament and went all the way to the Western Conference Finals before getting swept by the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets.
Expectations were sky high entering the 2023-24 campaign, but even though both James and Davis played over 70 regular-season games, the Lakers went a disappointing 47-35 and had to go through the play-in again.
This time, they ran into Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and the Nuggets in the first round, and although essentially every game in the series was competitive, Los Angeles was knocked out in five games with Monday's 108-106 defeat.
Assuming the Lakers are able to retain James, it is likely that general manager Rob Pelinka will have to tweak the roster around him and Davis this offseason, perhaps to the point of adding a third star.
However, the easiest change with the most immediate effect may be parting ways with Ham after only two seasons.
Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, sources said Ham's job is "very much in jeopardy," and the organization intends to make a decision on his future "in the coming days."
Since James joined the Lakers in 2018, the Lakers have had three head coaches in Luke Walton, Frank Vogel and Ham.
Given James' status as one of the greatest players in NBA history, there is always a sense of urgency to win when he is on the roster, and that is even truer now as he approaches his 40th birthday.
The Lakers moved on from Vogel just two years after he helped lead them to a championship, which suggests they won't hesitate to fire Ham if they feel as though an improvement can be made in that area.
Although the decision will ultimately belong to owner Jeanie Buss and Pelinka, it is fair to assume that James will have to give his blessing one way or the other before the Lakers settle on Ham's fate.
