Lakers News: LA Star Directly Challenges Darvin Ham's Assessment Of Team Struggles
Since winning the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament last month (in a game that didn't count towards their regular season record), the Los Angeles Lakers have been trying to figure out what is wrong with them. They have gone 6-12 during that span, and things aren't looking great for the team right now.
The players look disengaged, and it has shown in their performance on the court. The team has dealt with multiple injuries throughout the season, which has played a role in some things.
But after another tough loss at the hands of an undermanned Miami Heat team two weeks ago, things seemed to reach something of a nadir. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham put the struggles of late on all the injuries, saying that the team couldn't get it together until then.
However, star big man Anthony Davis went in the complete opposite direction. He didn't want to make any excuses for the injuries, saying that the players needed to step up.
“Guys being out is not an excuse. There are no excuses for us. Like coach said (pregame), we have enough in this locker room to win but we just have to go out and compete.”
There seems to be a disconnect between Ham and the players, which is likely leading to some of the on-court struggles. It seems that Ham is fighting for his job right now, and if things don't turn around, he will be let go.
He has tinkered with different lineups throughout the year and has benched players at different times. It has caused frustration throughout the locker room, and the clock may be ticking on his tenure in Los Angeles.
The Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals last season and were expected to continue that success this year. But it has gone in the opposite direction, and they now find themselves sitting under .500.
