In the aftermath of the Lakers’ ‘deepening separation’ with head coach Darvin Ham, the team has won just three games since their triumph in the NBA In-Season Tournament less than a month ago.
Speculation has it that the Lakers’ locker room is becoming increasingly estranged from head coach Darvin Ham as the club sinks to new depths in its slump.
After winning the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament on December 9, the Lakers have taken a major tumble, dropping to 10th place in the Western Conference after dropping nine of their last 12 games.
Reports surfaced regarding worries within the organization over the relationship between Ham and his players following Wednesday night’s 110-96 loss to the Miami Heat, who were without star Jimmy Butler.
An article in The Athletic states that the head coach’s drаmаtic lineup changes and rotations have caused friction with LeBron James and the rest of the team.
On Wednesday, Ham started his tenth different lineup of the season—his third in as many games—against the Heat in an attempt to end Los Angeles’ losing streak. Unfortunately, the Clippers fell to their third consecutive defeat.
Reportedly, the loss ratcheted up the strеss in the Lakers locker room, which had been building due to worries over the recent trend of lineup changes.
Supposedly, several in the organization were taken aback by Ham’s choice to start James, Prince, Jarred Vanderbilt, Reddish, and Davis with a lineup without a second guard ballhandler against the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 23, instead sitting D’Angelo Russell.
Lakers bench players Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and Russell rank third, fourth, and fifth in salary, respectively.
Following Wednesday’s defeat, the locker room was opened up for a postgame team meeting; after Anthony Davis talked to the media, the remaining players, including James, allegedly left the building. This was all before Ham addressed the media.
“Right now, it’s a little bit of everything,” Davis told The Athletic. Our execution is lacking. That squad was more physical, played greater execution, and played tougher than us tonight. It was a night of outwork for us. For the time being, it’s a patchwork of sorts.
It won’t be beneficial for us if we continue along this path. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that we need to resolve this matter without delay.
Being absent does not justify you, guys. For us, there are no justifications. We have what it takes to win here in the locker room, as the coach stated before the game; now all we have to do is compete.
We need to improve as a unit and start winning games, no matter who starts or who gets benched, Reaves stated. There’s no doubt that we have the ability to win games. Our depth is sufficient. Our abilities are sufficient. We need to find a solution.
“We’re losing,” he continued. “When you’re losing, it should make you feel bad, you know?” I would be worried if, after this difficult patch, I walked in and felt like something was wrong.
The chemistry isn’t bad, Reaves clarified; he just doesn’t like each other. We’re actually losing. We need to be very angry. After games, we shouldn’t be satisfied with our performance. However, I would prefer not to interpret that as a sign that we dislike one another. There is complete harmony in the locker room.
At the same time, Ham insisted that the team would strugglе to establish a routine until it was fully healthy.
Ham emphasized the need of getting well. • “… And once you’re feeling better, you guys need to get back into the swing of things and figure out how to work together as a unit, a complete and utter rotation that we can follow. When players come and go from the lineup so often, it becomes incredibly difficult to establish a routine. Being authentic is all it takes. It doesn’t reflect poorly on anyone.