Darwin Hamm’s crazy comments after Nuggets loss infuriates Lakers fans
Any hint of momentum the Los Angeles Lakers were headed for Saturday night has been completely dispelled. The Lakers had a great chance to get a big win against the reigning NBA champions, but they lost again to the Denver Nuggets. Similar to other matchups between these two teams over the past calendar year, the Lakers continued to battle the Nuggets for as long as they could, but ultimately could not match Denver’s performance.
At the end of the third quarter, the Nuggets led by eight points at halftime, but entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead over the Lakers. This was a reminder that the Lakers aren’t on the same level as the Nuggets and that the Los Angeles coach could hold the team back.
Ham once again used questionable lineups in the game, including benching D’Angelo Russell for an extended period of time in the fourth quarter. Again, Hamm took no responsibility after the game. Instead of giving a rational explanation for why the Lakers lost to the Nuggets, Ham decided to say the team just had to keep trying. Lakers fans are fed up with Darwin Hamm
This sounds like something a coach would say to a boys basketball team still learning the ropes of the sport, not a professional sports team led by the greatest player of all time.
Throughout the season, Ham’s answers to these questions have been a result of effort. He never logically explained how the Lakers could improve their game other than just trying. It would be different if he talked to the media about it and developed a strategy, but that’s not the case at all. The Lakers looked like a poorly coached team that didn’t really know what they were doing all season.
Earlier this season, when the Lakers were going through their worst period of the year, there were reports of a locker room altercation with Ham. According to Anthony Irvine of Lakers Daily, internal sources suggest Ham’s lack of accountability and shifting blame, including effort, is causing division within the team.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Ham is not a great head coach. He was a beloved assistant in Milwaukee and Atlanta, but being a head coach isn’t for everyone. A head coach’s job isn’t just to tell his players to work harder, but Hamm didn’t seem to have been given that role. Barring a miraculous turnaround and a strong run to the NBA playoffs, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Ham’s tenure as the Lakers’ head coach ends after just two seasons.
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