Category: Latest Lakers News

Darvin Ham says he’ll go with same starting lineup in Game 4

It looks like D’Angelo Russell won’t be benched for Game 4 between the Lakers and Nuggets, despite his massive struggles.

If Los Angeles Lakers fans had their way, Game 4 of the team’s first-round playoff series versus the Denver Nuggets could be Darvin Ham’s final game as its head coach. There is also a growing desire for starting point guard D’Angelo Russell to be exiled out of the Southland.

After a very, very good first half in Game 2, Russell put up a bagel in Game 3. He missed all seven of his shot attempts and didn’t score a single point, and at one point in the game, he was booed by Lakers fans on hand at Crypto.com Arean after he missed a wide-open 3-pointer.

Russell also played very poorly in last year’s Western Conference Finals when L.A. got swept by the Nuggets. As a result, Ham benched him for Game 4.

But Ham said he won’t do that this time around.

Via ESPN:

“I’m not changing my starting lineup,” Ham said Friday after L.A. had a film session in lieu of practice.

If there is one good quality Ham possesses, it is his tendency to publicly support his players and try to give an air of eternal optimism and a can-do attitude. He still sounded supportive of Russell despite his terrible Game 3 outing.

“You want to give your players a chance to make good for themselves,” Ham said. “There were questions about that after Game 1 and you saw what we did in Game 2. He got back in the gym, as he’s always done, and worked on his stuff. And he provided a great source of income in Game 2. Although we came up short, he was one of the reasons we were able to be in the game.”

Even if Russell goes into volcano mode in Game 4 on Saturday, there is a real chance it will be the last time he wears a Lakers uniform. He’s reportedly likely to decline the player option on his contract for next season, which would hurt L.A.’s ability to send him away in a trade to improve its roster.

Terrell Owens: Lakers had more pride in winning in-season tournament than Nuggets series

Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens criticized the Lakers for what he sees as a lack of pride and passion versus the Nuggets.

The Los Angeles Lakers have looked helpless and clueless during their first-round playoff series versus the Denver Nuggets. Despite building double-digit leads in each of the first three games of the series, they have lost each of those games, and they’re now on the verge of being swept.

Every time they have seen one of their leads start to diminish, they have shown a remarkable lack of resourcefulness. They have also shown a lack of fight, especially as the series has devolved into a one-sided affair.

The Lakers celebrated their in-season tournament title in December with champagne, which caused some to mock them for making too much out of winning the inaugural NBA Cup. That victory now seems completely insignificant and distant.

Former NFL star wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens feels the team cared more about winning that tourney than it does about trying to knock the defending world champs out of the playoffs (h/t Lakers Daily).

Game 4 of the best-of-seven matchup will take place on Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena. Even if the Lakers somehow manage to win, it would do very little, if anything, to alter the complexion of the series, let alone its outcome.

Darvin Ham on Lakers’ mood: They are ‘ready to make a change’

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham made a curious and possibly ominous statement about his team’s mood as it is on the verge of being swept.

If the Los Angeles Lakers were a hospital patient, they would be on life support, and doctors would be preparing the next of kin for the inevitability of death in the coming days.

In fact, for all intents and purposes, the 2023-24 Lakers are already dead, and their death began in earnest in the second half of Game 2 of their first-round playoff series versus the Denver Nuggets, long before Jamal Murray’s game-winning shot. They now trail in the series 0-3, and there is a better chance of another tropical storm hitting Southern California this summer than L.A. has of coming back to make this series competitive.

While there is plenty of blame to go around, the lion’s share of the blame seems to be falling on the shoulders of head coach Darvin Ham. Following the team’s film session on Friday, he commented on the mood of his players, and he made a curious statement when he said they’re “ready to make a change.”

Yes, LeBron James didn’t take charge like a franchise player should when his team’s lead is disappearing. Yes, D’Angelo Russell had possibly the worst game of his life when he went scoreless in Game 3.

But this Lakers team appears to have no leadership or direction. They have built double-digit leads in each of the three games in this series, but when Denver has made runs to start to eat away at those leads, the Lakers have looked absolutely clueless when it has come to how they should’ve responded.

That falls on their head coach, even more so than on someone such as James. Now, all those reports that James and his teammates have been ignoring Ham and even wanted him replaced earlier this season are more telling than ever.

Windhorst: D’Angelo Russell likely to opt out of his contract this summer

Lakers starting point guard D’Angelo Russell could be on his way out.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in deep, deep trouble in their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. They’re down 0-3, which means the series is essentially over, especially since they have shown no ability to adjust or respond properly when the Nuggets make their patented second-half runs.

It’s clear the Lakers need to make changes this summer. While they have a very good roster that isn’t far from being a championship-caliber one, it simply isn’t good enough right now to meet expectations.

Starting point guard D’Angelo Russell has often been mentioned as the one player who may be used as a trade chip to bring in that final piece. But according to Brian Windhorst via “The Hoop Collective,” L.A. may not be able to use him as a trade chip, as he said Russell is likely to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer (h/t Lakers Nation).

“As Lakers fans or NBA fans start to figure out what trade they’re gonna make this summer that’s gonna get them a third start because that will begin, it already will begin tomorrow because this series is cooked,” said Windhorst. “It’s likely that D’Angelo Russell is gonna opt out of his contract, OK. Because the Lakers gave him a one-year with a player option and I would say it’s likely he’s gonna opt out of that and once he’s a free agent, they can’t really trade him. Yes, you could in theory do a sign-and-trade, but if the Lakers are in the apron, they can’t receive a player in the sign-and-trade… So it’s likely that they’re not gonna be able to execute a sign-and-trade even if there was a team out there that wants D’Angelo Russell and wants to trade the Lakers a star, which is a totally different conversation.”

Russell’s name came up heavily in trade rumors at midseason, particularly when it was rumored the team was after Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. He had arguably the worst game of his playoff career on Thursday in Game 3 by going scoreless and missing all six of his 3-point attempts, and perhaps the writing is on the wall regarding his immediate future.

Darvin Ham: Lakers have to keep playing up-tempo

Darvin Ham wants the Lakers to stick to their “Showtime” style and identity as they try to make their series versus the Nuggets competitive.

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered an epic meltdown in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Monday. They had a 20-point lead in the third quarter, and it looked like they were well on their way to tying the series.

But they went away from what earned them the lead. One of the many reasons they gave up their lead was they walked the ball upcourt on a consistent basis instead of playing fast-break basketball, which is the style they’re most effective playing.

Head coach Darvin Ham recognized this and said Los Angeles has to keep playing fast and with urgency.

Via Lakers Nation:

“The pace has to continue,” Ham said. “You build a lead, you can’t go to playing slow and try to play the clock game. Just have to stay aggressive, stay organized, understand where you’re trying to go with the ball, be aggressive to the paint, things we’ve been preaching all year. But to slow down and they’re gaining the momentum now just because you’re slow, we’re out of rhythm. So we just got to figure out a way to maintain pace.”

During the regular season, L.A. was fourth in pace and third in fast-break points. When it has been successful, it has done so by turning good defense into points either on the fast break or in early offense.

But during the LeBron James era, it has gotten into trouble when it has walked the ball upcourt and milked the shot clock. It is something James and his teammates have often been guilty of, especially in the second halves of games.

Darvin Ham may return as Lakers head coach despite 0-2 series hole versus Nuggets

It looks like Darvin Ham’s job as Lakers head coach may be safe regardless of how their series versus the Nuggets turns out.

The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves between a rock and a hard place after the first two games of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. They blew double-digit leads in both contests, and they’re down 2-0 in the series as it heads to Southern California.

In a literal sense, one may think the Lakers are very capable of winning the next two games and making it a brand-new series. But in a real sense, they haven’t shown any proof they’re capable of winning even one game against the defending NBA champs.

Los Angeles’ Game 2 collapse was one of the worst in the franchise’s storied legacy and, quite honestly, one of the worst in the entire history of the NBA playoffs. Many are pointing the finger at head coach Darvin Ham, and the calls for him to be fired have grown louder and louder.

Therefore, most Lakers fans will not like what team insider Anthony Irwin wrote on his Substack. According to him, Ham will likely be back next season as the team’s head coach.

Via Substack:

“Their most pressing question, depending on the outcome and length of this series, is Darvin Ham’s future, and sources say, the Lakers remain very split on the job he’s done,” wrote Irwin.

“In fact, in asking around the last couple weeks heading into the play-in and playoffs, most people I’ve spoken to believe Ham will be back.”

It looks like the desire to keep Ham in place is coming from the top.

“All season, as reports circled about the job Ham has done and how the locker room felt about the rotation choices he made, his handling of in-game situations and overall ability to communicate his vision to the team, (Rob) Pelinka and Jeanie Buss have maintained steadfast support of their head coach.”

According to Irwin, the excuses for wanting to keep Ham include the injuries L.A. has had to key role players this season, the financial implications of having to pay Ham after he loses his job and his successor at the same time and the fact Ham is still a young and developing head coach.

After all, the team made the Western Conference finals last year, and perhaps Ham deserves some credit for that, despite all his flaws and deficiencies.

However, assuming LeBron James sticks around past this season, the Lakers will remain in win-now mode. That would make it hard to justify keeping a head coach who is either not ready to take his team to the promised land or will never become such a leader.

On the other hand, many Lakers fans believe the team’s front office is poorly run these days.

Christian Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt will not return to Lakers for Game 3

The Lakers’ frontcourt depth will remain depleted in Game 3 versus the Nuggets.

The Los Angeles Lakers are playing for their playoff lives. Even though they will not face elimination in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, it sure feels like it.

They blew double-digit leads in both of the first two games of the series, including a 20-point second-half lead in Game 2. At this point, it seems the only way the Lakers could beat the Nuggets is if both Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray break their legs and are unable to play and the Lakers run up a 50-point lead.

There was hope that Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt, two of their key frontcourt reserves, would be able to return from injury in Game 3. They have been out since February because of a knee ailment and midfoot sprain, respectively.

But the cavalry will not be coming, at least not yet. Both remain out for Game 3 at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday.

Los Angeles’ bench has produced next to nothing in the first two games. Only one of its reserves — forward Taurean Prince — has scored, and it is a big reason the team is averaging 101 points per game in the series after putting up 120.3 per game in the regular season after the All-Star break.

Darvin Ham responds to Anthony Davis’ comment after Lakers’ Game 2 loss

Darvin Ham didn’t seem to agree with Anthony Davis’ comment that the Lakers don’t know what they’re doing at times.

The Los Angeles Lakers had their hearts broken in Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets when they blew a 20-point lead and lost on a Jamal Murray jumper at the final horn.

Although they complained about the officiating and perhaps had a legitimate reason to do so, they have only themselves to blame. They ran their offense very well for two-and-a-half quarters, only to slow to a crawl and get away from the actions that produced that big lead.

Afterward, Anthony Davis said that the Lakers have stretches where they don’t know what they’re doing on both ends of the floor. It almost sounded like a veiled shot at head coach Darvin Ham.

Ham responded to that comment on Wednesday.

Via ESPN:

“I mean, I just think sometimes when plays don’t turn out the way you think they should, then the frustration sets in a little bit,” Ham said. “But I don’t think it’s (from) us not being organized. I think I have incredibly talented coaches all along my staff. We pride ourselves, whether it’s a practice, a shootaround, a film session, a game or whatever, we pride ourselves on being highly efficient and organized. I just chalk that up to being frustrated. It’s an emotional game, the way it ended and all of that.

“But I’ll agree to disagree on that one.”

Game 2 was the third straight playoff game in which Los Angeles blew a double-digit lead and lost to the Nuggets. If it is to make this series competitive, it will have to discover something from within that it hasn’t displayed to this point, especially against the defending NBA champs, who have beaten it 10 straight times now.

LeBron James was heard arguing with a referee after Lakers’ Game 2 loss

LeBron James seemed livid right after the Lakers lost Game 2 to the Nuggets on Monday.

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered one of the most heartbreaking defeats in their history on Monday in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series versus the Denver Nuggets. They built a sizable lead in the first half and extended it to 20 in the third quarter. They seemed to be cruising to tying the series.

But they got away from what worked for them, and the contest became a slow-motion train wreck. Los Angeles gradually lost its lead, and it disappeared at the buzzer when Jamal Murray hit a jumper to hand it a 101-99 loss.

While some players, such as Anthony Davis, seemed willing to hold themselves accountable, others blamed external things. LeBron James blasted the league’s officiating process after the game and singled out a foul that was called against Michael Porter Jr. for hitting D’Angelo Russell in the face, only to be overturned.

A leaked audio (warning: strong language) also revealed that James went after one of the officials right after Murray hit the shot that buried the Lakers.

James complained that he was fouled when he made a layup late in the fourth quarter and that he should’ve been sent to the free-throw line for a chance at a three-point play.

The 39-year-old has drawn plenty of criticism for complaining frequently to the referees over the years. While it may be a valid criticism, perhaps this time he had a justified reason to be upset.

George Karl implies Anthony Davis shouldn’t have been named a top 75 player

George Karl threw shade at Anthony Davis after the Lakers’ Game 2 loss to the Nuggets, even though Davis played outstanding basketball.

A couple of years ago, the NBA celebrated its 75th anniversary, and the Association marked the occasion by naming its 75 greatest players of all time.

One of the active players named to the list was the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis. The selection was met with some criticism, especially since Davis had been injury-prone for much of his career.

He has played outstanding basketball so far in his team’s first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. In Game 2, he was virtually unstoppable for a long stretch, and he is averaging 32 points on 61.9% shooting, 12.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots a contest in this series.

Unfortunately, the Lakers trail in the series, 2-0, after their devastating loss on Monday when they blew a 20-point second-half lead. Former Nuggets head coach George Karl used it as an opportunity to imply that perhaps Davis didn’t deserve to be named one of the NBA’s 75 greatest players ever.

English was a very good player in the 1980s, and he was almost a walking bucket for those Nuggets squads. But he didn’t excel in any other phase of the game. Thus it would be utterly foolish to claim he was a better player than Davis, who is an outstanding scorer, rebounder, shot-blocker and overall defender.