As a result of the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round elimination on Tuesday, Darvin Ham is in “serious danger.”At Ball Arena on Tuesday, the Lakers suffered a 108-106 defeat to the Denver Nuggets in Game 5. Jamal Murray’s game-winning shot at the end of the Lakers season gave the Nuggets a 4-1 series lead. This playoffs, Ham has been under heavy criticism from supporters, who even chanted “Fire Darvin” during a Game 3 defeat. It appears doubtful that he will return to Los Angeles for a third season, per The Athletic.
“The Lakers’ unflattering finish leaves Ham’s future as head coach in serious peril, multiple league and team sources tell The Athletic, with some stakeholders indicating it’s highly unlikely he’ll return. The plan is to reassess everything that went wrong in the coming days before making a final decision. In 2022, Ham signed a four-year deal in the range of $5 million per season, so the team would be assuming the remainder of his deal if he is fired.”
Ham is aware of his situation and is not acting in ignorance. A championship is the expected outcome for a Lakers team headed by LeBron James. Though it was probably insufficient, LA was able to save some face by avoiding getting blown out of the first round by the Nuggets. Following the Game 5 defeat, Ham remarked, “I’ll tell you what, it’s been a hell of a two years sitting in this seat.” “Those two years have been absolutely crazy.”
There have been Lakers problems that Ham hasn’t been able to control. The most notable obstacle has been injury. This season, James participated in 71 games while Anthony Davis had 76 appearances, which is the most for both players in their time in Los Angeles. However, because role players were coming and going from the roster, the Lakers found it difficult to keep up a steady rotation.
“It seemed like every time we hit a rhythm, somebody, a key piece, would fall out of the lineup. It is what it is, man,” Ham said. “I’m not going to feel sorry for myself, for ourselves. It’s an unbelievable franchise to represent. I couldn’t ask for a better governor, a better president of (basketball operations) in Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss. But I’ve seen a lot my first two years in this seat. I’ll continue to work, to get better and to control what I can control.”
Ham’s plans were thrown off when he made some dubious decisions about his rotation, which had an impact on the locker room. Shams Charania, Jovan Buha, and Sam Amick of The Athletic stated that “team officials and players believe Ham’s fluctuating rotations, game plans, and lack of adjustments led to an underperforming group throughout the series and most of the season.” “It generated dissatisfaction in the locker room, which spread throughout the franchise.”
LeBron’s future is the second big concern the Lakers have this offseason. For the upcoming season, the four-time MVP has a $51.4 million player option. He can choose to opt in until June 29. Following Tuesday’s game that ended the season, James wasn’t prepared to discuss it. When asked about his plans, James replied, “I’m not going to answer that.”
It’s unclear how James’ choice may be impacted by a coaching change. However, after a Game 2 defeat to the Nuggets, James’ co-star Davis seemed to publicly criticise the coaching staff, which did nothing to assist Ham’s job security. On April 22, Davis said to reporters, “There are times when we just don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor.”
Regarding Davis’ remarks, Ham responded, “I just chalk it up to being frustrated.” The way the game concluded and all of that make it an emotional game. On that one, though, I’ll concede to disagree. Surprisingly, the Lakers held their farewell interviews after losing in Denver in Game 5. It is unknown when Ham’s future will be decided, but it most likely won’t be too long from now.