Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham Likely to be Fired After Playoff Elimination

The future for Darvin Ham as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers doesn’t look good in the wake of the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

Per The Athletic‘s report, Darvin Ham is considered ‘highly unlikely’ to return next season after another ‘unflattering’ postseason defeat to the Nuggets. According to ESPN, Ham’s job is ‘very much in jeopardy’ and a decision will be made by the organization in the coming days.

Some of the rationale for potentially moving on from Ham includes his lineup shuffling during the Lakers’ 3-10 stretch after winning the in-season tournament. The decision to bench key players like Reaves and Russell and the inconsistency in player rotations have left stakeholders questioning Ham’s future with the team.

The Lakers, built around stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, faced issues with role players like Hachimura and Russell underperforming in critical moments. Hachimura’s hot three-point shooting in the regular season didn’t translate to the playoffs, while Russell struggled to find his form against the Nuggets.

Los Angeles’ decision to maintain a similar roster composition from the previous season has resulted in familiar outcomes. Despite having two elite talents in James and Davis, the Lakers have failed to reach the level of competitiveness seen during their championship-winning season in 2019-20.

With the pressure always high on the Lakers head coach, especially with superstars like James and Davis on the roster, Darvin Ham’s inability to establish consistency with his lineup choices and rotations has put his job in jeopardy. Should the Lakers part ways with Ham, they will be seeking a new leader to guide the team back to championship contention.