The Los Angeles Lakers have officially secured their position in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. They went on the road and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this week, 110-106, to land the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference.
The reward for such an achievement is a first-round matchup with the deafening NBA Champion Denver Nuggets. That certainly isn’t an ideal outcome for the Lakers, but anything can happen once the playoffs start.
Los Angeles has a motivated LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way, as they are looking to exact some revenge on the Nuggets. In the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Denver sen Los Angeles home in the Western Conference Finals with a sweep.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Darvin Ham & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Their dominance of the Lakers continued throughout the 2023-24 season, as the Nuggets went 3-0 against them. Changing the tide will certainly not be easy, especially with some of the disadvantages Los Angeles will have to overcome.
Arguably the biggest one will be on the sidelines. In the NBA Playoffs, a difference in the series can be from coaching. With teams getting so familiar with each other over a potential seven-game stretch, coaches need to find wrinkles to add to give their team an advantage.
Darvin Ham has received his fair share of criticism throughout the season. A majority of it is warranted, as NBA rumors have swirled about his job security should the Lakers have an early exit in the postseason.
Several people believe that Ham’s shortcomings as head coach are why the Lakers are in this position in the first place. While making an appearance on The Colin Cowherd Podcast on The Volume, Jason Timpf revealed his take on the Lakers’ head coach.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Darvin Ham & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
“Their position in the standings is Darvin Ham’s fault… they should not have to go to New Orleans on Tuesday and have to win a game,” Timpf said.
The Lakers won that game in New Orleans, but they have a long road ahead of them if they want to make a run in the NBA Playoffs. Defeating the defending champs is no easy task, especially with Ham showing some shortcomings as head coach.
His lineup and rotation decisions have been under fire all season, as he was over-reliant on players who weren’t moving the needle. Ham has done better finding a combination that works recently, but he will certainly be under pressure to win some games otherwise he could be on the unemployment line.
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