40,000 is not only the number of points LeBron James has eclipsed, but also the number of hurdles the Lakers have had to jump over this season—or at least it feels like it. And with the team towing the line between 9th and 10th place in the West, March’s slate of games isn’t doing them any favors, either.
Lol, looking at the March schedule and the Lakers play at total of two (2) games against non-playoff/play-in teams. 3/27 at Memphis and 3/31 at Brooklyn.
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) March 1, 2024
But aside from a 33-29 squad’s season arguably hinging on this month, March matters for a different reason: its results could dictate the future of head coach Darvin Ham.
Lakers Rumors: Why March Matters for Darvin Ham’s Future
Darvin Ham’s Fluctuating Job Security
The Lakers brass may claim that Darvin Ham’s job is safe as long as they want, but the results tell a different story. New reporting from Lakers insider Anthony Irwin includes clarity on the team’s plans with Ham, and what could happen if things fall short.
“Per sources speaking on the condition of anonymity, Ham’s job is still very much safe this season, but if the Lakers don’t make the playoffs (meaning, secure the sixth seed or win their way into an actual playoff series), that could change as soon as this summer.”
Irwin also expanded on previous reports about players’ frustrations growing with their second-year head coach, shedding new light on LeBron’s feelings towards him:
“‘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 to the situation said. “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.’”
Adding to the frustrations around schemes are Ham’s inactions against the Heat and Nuggets:
“‘We couldn’t do s— against Miami’s zone and we have LeBron,’ one source told me. ‘After the game, it was all, ‘We gotta do this, players gotta do that.’ Not once did we hear about coaches not knowing what to do against a 2-3.’”
Darvin Ham on defending Nikola Jokic: "You just have to fight as hard as you can for as long as you can and hope he misses. Hope he misses. … You just have to keep throwing stuff at him."
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) March 3, 2024
The mistakes are expected for a first-year head coach, but not for someone who’s in his second year and coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance.
All of this intel only adds fuel to the fire, and it suggests that Ham may be closer to the hot seat than many team executives want to believe.
The Road Ahead
The Lakers have been one of the most polarizing teams all season. They have the talent to be a legitimate title contender but fail to show it when it matters the most. There are still 21 contests left for them to make another late-season turnaround, but, again, the odds are not in their favor.
The majority of their schedule will be against teams who are in the playoffs or Play-in Tournament. Notably, they’ll be fighting for their first wins of the season against the Bucks, Kings and 76ers—the latter of whom delivered their largest loss of the season with a 44-point blowout in November. The Lakers will also be facing five Western Conference teams (Thunder, Timberwolves, Kings, Warriors and Grizzlies)—four of whom have better records than LA right now. With several rotation players still making their way back from injuries—and the current group continuing to struggle against contenders—it really will be “March Madness” for the 2023-24 Lakers.
Amid all the doom and gloom, there are reasons to be optimistic about this group. They came off of a February that saw them go 9-3 with statement victories. LeBron and Anthony Davis continue to perform at superstar levels. And D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are stuffing the stat sheet and helping the Lakers trudge through adversity.
The players are putting in the effort to win despite their record. It’s up to Ham to do the same. It makes sense why the Lakers don’t want to fire their third coach in the LeBron era. If Ham is able to do his job and lead LA to a deep playoff run—potentially culminating in glory—there’s a good chance they won’t have to.
