Lakers News: Darvin Ham Now A Favorite To Be First Coach Fired This Year

Will LA stick with Ham till the wheels fall off?

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a position many experts and fans didn't think they'd be in as we approach the halfway mark. The Lakers are trapped in play-in tournament bracket purgatory, far from the top of the Western Conference, and although there are many reasons why that is, the fault is primarily blamed on head coach Darvin Ham. 

Ham is in his second year as coach for the purple and gold, and the nicest way to put it is the fanbase disapproves of his methods. He is constantly being ridiculed because of his questionable rotations, coaching decisions, and lineups. It's clear Ham is not a fan favorite among the Laker faithful. He's not getting the job done at the moment, and because of that, Ham is tied for the best odds of the first NBA head coach to be fired, per Sporting Post. 

Ham is tied with Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams at +300 odds to be the first head coach fired in the 2023-2024 season. Although he's high among oddsmakers, the chances of LA kicking the can on Ham are apparently very low. Sorry to break it to you, Darvin haters. 

It was reported last week that the Lakers, governor Jeanie Buss, and general manager Rob Pelinka are in 'alignment' with Ham and are 100% in support of him as things stand. Then again, what else do you expect them to say? 

Since the in-season tournament championship, the Lakers have looked out of focus and lazy. On top of that, Ham's questionable decision-making has not helped the team. He keeps players in that game who aren't contributing at the moment; he sits players who are playing well and doesn't give the Lakers the best possible lineup to match the opponent. Ham sits hot players for too long and keeps in players who aren't doing well for too long. 

It's frustrating to watch, but at the same time, it's not all on Ham. The coach is always the scapegoat when teams aren't performing up to par, but with Darvin, it's hard to stick up for him. 

However, don't hold your breath on a Ham firing, Laker fans. Expect him to at least finish the season out, but if you know what hits the fan, then you can expect it.