There aren’t many teams in the NBA that have been more disappointing than the Los Angeles Lakers over the last few weeks. After winning the inaugural In-Season Championship, Los Angeles has seen their production on the court plummet.
The Lakers were 14-9 heading into that championship game in Las Vegas against the Indiana Pacers. Since that point, they have gone 3-9 as they are now under the .500 mark after Wednesday night’s loss to the Miami Heat.
Sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference without many signs of things turning around, head coach Darvin Ham has been placed on the proverbial hot seat. Some NBA analysts don’t believe he will make it end of the season as head coach.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis, George Karl, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The Lakers are embarking on a very favorable stretch of their schedule that could determine Ham’s fate. Including their game on Wednesday against the Heat, they are leaving Los Angeles only once until January 27th, when they begin a six-game road trip with a visit to the Golden State Warriors.
If the Lakers cannot get on track playing that many games at home, something will have to change. A trade seems inevitable to shake up what has been an underwhelming roster, as injuries have derailed them at times this season.
Alas, injuries are something that every team deals with. How the coaching staff adjusts to those injuries will determine how much success a team has and Ham has struggled in that regard. Alas, some people don’t believe that Ham should be receiving all of the blame.
Former NBA head coach Geroge Karl took to X, formerly Twitter, to share his opinion on what has been going on in Los Angeles. Based on his post, he believes that All-Star big man Anthony Davis, not Ham, is the problem.
That is certainly a hot take from Karl, but one that some people may agree with. Davis is considered one of the most talented players in the NBA, capable of impacting the game on both ends of the court. A dominant defensive player, Davis is just as tough to game plan against on offense as well.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis, George Karl, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
However, there have been some inconsistencies when it comes to his production. Injuries have played a part in that during his tenure with the Lakers, but cannot be used as an excuse this season; Davis has missed only two games this season.
Not being able to consistently rely on who many believe to be your best player makes life difficult at times for the Lakers. When he is performing at a high level and things are clicking, Los Angeles looks like a title contender.
But, when that isn’t occurring, things do get ugly. Forced to rely on role players such as Austin Reaves, Cam Reddish and Rui Hachimura to step into larger roles around LeBron James leads to inconsistent production. The team needs Davis to play like the star he is capable of for them to get close to reaching the heights they did last season during their run to the Western Conference Finals.
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