{"id":60751,"date":"2024-01-04T13:30:29","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T18:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=60751"},"modified":"2024-01-04T13:30:29","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T18:30:29","slug":"lakers-rumors-darvin-hams-job-security-in-jeopardy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/01\/04\/lakers-rumors-darvin-hams-job-security-in-jeopardy\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Rumors: Darvin Ham’s Job Security in Jeopardy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following the Lakers\u2019 <\/span>first loss of 2024<\/span><\/a> and their ninth in the last 12 games, <\/span>a new report from The Athletic<\/span><\/a> revealed growing tension within the locker room between players and Head Coach Darvin Ham. Sources told insider <\/span>Shams Charania<\/span><\/a> and Lakers beat writer Jovan Buha:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>There\u2019s currently a deepening disconnect between Darvin Ham and the Lakers locker room\u2026raising questions about the head coach\u2019s standing. The people spoke with<\/span> The Athletic <\/span><\/i>on condition of anonymity so that they could speak freely on the matter. Those sources have described that the disjointedness between the coach and team has stemmed from the extreme rotation and starting lineup adjustments recently from Ham, leading to a fluctuating rhythm for several players across the roster.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With the Lakers now below .500 with a healthy <\/span>LeBron James<\/b><\/a> and <\/span>Anthony Davis<\/b><\/a>, could a significant change be in order?<\/span><\/p>\n

Lakers Rumors: Darvin Ham’s Job Security in Jeopardy<\/span><\/h2>\n

Background<\/b><\/h3>\n

The questions with Darvin Ham have appeared all season long, from the aforementioned starting lineup switches to glaring inconsistencies in his rotations. Buha revealed that players were frustrated with their roles in an appearance on <\/span>Jason Timpf\u2019s podcast, \u201cHoops Tonight\u201d<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven if you look at players\u2019 comments postgame, you\u2019ve seen several guys be like, \u2018I don\u2019t know my role,\u2019 essentially. I think Rui [Hachimura] has been one of the most vocal in that sense\u2026It\u2019s really been this up and down thing with some of the guys.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Buha added that some players were receiving mixed messages from Ham when it came to their minutes. Some players, such as <\/span>D\u2019Angelo Russell<\/b><\/a> or <\/span>Austin Reaves<\/b><\/a>, would have \u201cshort leashes\u201d and would be benched when they were struggling. But that wouldn\u2019t be the case for other role players (e.g. <\/span>Cam Reddish<\/b><\/a> or <\/span>Taurean Prince<\/b><\/a>), who were given \u201clonger leashes\u201d amid their own struggles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, the Lakers have veered away from the continuity they emphasized over the summer. The lineup of Russell, Reaves, James, Davis and <\/span>Jarred Vanderbilt<\/b><\/a>\u2014which helped them advance through to the Western Conference Finals\u2014has barely seen the floor this year. Russell, Reaves and Hachimura have come off the bench in a flawed attempt to fix what\u2019s broken.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following last night\u2019s loss to Miami, reporters received conflicting comments between Ham and his players. Ham stressed that the team can\u2019t get into a rhythm unless they\u2019re fully healthy\u2014a point he\u2019s echoed since \u00a0October. Davis and Reaves pointed out that injuries and differing lineups cannot be excuses for the team\u2019s poor play. And if that wasn\u2019t concerning enough, <\/span>LeBron James<\/b><\/a> left Wednesday night\u2019s loss without speaking to the media\u2014a rare occurrence.<\/span><\/p>\n

This all goes to show that perhaps a change in personnel is needed\u2014but not with the players.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is Darvin Ham on the Hot Seat?<\/b><\/h3>\n

The strained relationships between Ham and his players are enough to seriously question the head coach’s job security. Judging by fans\u2019 reactions after practically every Lakers loss, it seems the writing\u2019s been on the wall this whole time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

How bad is Darvin Ham right now?<\/p>\n

Anthony Davis has been arguably the best player in the world since 12\/1<\/p>\n

Just put up 30pts, 17reb, 5asst, 5blk<\/p>\n

Played 44mins and the entire 2nd half <\/p>\n

And the Lakers were blown out by the Heat\u2026\u2026..without Jimmy Butler<\/p>\n

— LAbound (@LAbound2) January 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n