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Darvin Ham is experiencing a turbulent second season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The sophomore head coach is struggling to get the best out of his experienced roster, with his team currently sitting 11th in the Western Conference. Recent reporting from The Athletic’s Shams Charania has cited a potential locker room “disconnect” between Ham and his players.
In a recent episode of “The Big Podcast,” former Lakers champion Shaquille O’Neal cited Ham’s lack of experience and resume as a potential stumbling block in a locker room full of champions.
“What I know for a fact,” O’Neal said. “In the locker room, resume is important. You mean to tell me LeBron’s gonna listen to Darvin Ham in the thick of things? I know the answer to that. I’ll let you figure it out. You think A.D. is gonna listen to Darvin Ham? That’s no disrespect to Darvin Ham, but no championship experience and no playoff experience. So, if I’m a guy that’s been there to the title run a lot, why would I listen to a guy that hasn’t been there?”
Ham has reportedly been assured his job isn’t in jeopardy, but being the head coach of the Lakers comes with a significant amount of expectations. Finding a way to connect with LeBron James and Anthony Davis is paramount. That connection appears to have weakened this season.
If the Lakers roster isn’t going to respect their head coach, they’re unlikely to follow his on-court instructions, and that’s when things can go awry. Ham did lead the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals last season, so he has proven he can coach a team during the postseason. How much of that success was down to the talent level within the roster remains debatable, though.
Nevertheless, if Ham is expected to remain in the hot seat, the Lakers players need to get on board with his system and his methods. It takes a united front to make a deep push into the playoffs. That responsibility to create harmony within the locker room falls on everybody, not just the head coach. Because if Ham doesn’t have the support he needs, the Lakers have already lost.
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