“Was a scapegoat!” – Sacked Lakers’ coach, Darvin Ham, defended by LeBron James’ former teammate
JR Smith, two-time NBA Champion, questions the Los Angeles Lakers decision to fire now-Bucks assistant coach, Darvin Ham.
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Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Darvin Ham
Following their playoff elimination by the Denver Nuggets last season, the Los Angeles Lakers made the tough call to part ways with coach Darvin Ham—a move that sparked heated debate. The decision remains controversial, with former NBA player and two-time champion JR Smith now adding his perspective to the conversation.
Smith, on the Playbackpod, expressed his disagreement with the Lakers’ decision, as he pointed to other factors that contributed to the team’s shortcomings. Specifically, he cited the underperformance of the Lakers’ bench as a major issue.
Darvin Ham was a scapegoat. What are you supposed to do with that roster? Like Cam Reddish coming off the bench, I feel like he can be better for sure… LeBron, he’s still going out there putting up crazy a** numbers. And then you know, (Anthony Davis) plays when he plays, but that ain’t enough to win.
JR Smith said on Playback podcast
“Darvin Ham was a scapegoat [for the Lakers]”
— Playback (@WatchPlayback) November 8, 2024
– JR Smith
(?: playback/mainstage) pic.twitter.com/F97Ka84A4P
As a two-time NBA champion and 2013 Sixth Man of the Year, Smith brings valuable insight into the conversation. His championship experience alongside LeBron James, first with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and then with the Lakers in 2020, provided a context for his opinion.
Smith isn’t the only one with the school of thought, as most fans believe that a lack of enthusiasm and dislike for the coach from some of the players played a role. The appointment of JJ Redick as the new head coach will undoubtedly face scrutiny as the Lakers strive to return to championship contention.
Lakers’ struggles persist with similarities to Darvin Ham’s tenure
Truly, the Lakers under new coach JJ Redick have started seeing their fair share of scrutiny. Their road trip ended on a sour note with a 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, despite the confidence they had before heading into the game.
Their defense faltered, which allowed the Grizzlies to shoot 51.6% from the field and 50% from three-point range. According to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, the Lakers’ defensive struggles are nothing new, and it dates back to last season under former coach Darvin Ham.
At one point last year, he (Ham) took D’Angelo Russell out of the starting lineup because him and Austin Reaves playing together was just untenable trying to defend… Last night, J.J. basically questioned D’Angelo Russell’s effort right in front of everybody like Darvin Ham was basically doing that, not in a press conference setting.
Brian Windhorst said on ESPN’s First Take
New head coach JJ Redick has already called out players, including D’Angelo Russell, for lackluster effort. Russell’s defensive liabilities and inconsistent play have been a concern, and Redick’s willingness to publicly address these issues may be a departure from Ham’s approach.
The ESPN analyst predicted the Lakers will be a play-in team in the competitive Western Conference, as he cited the front office’s failure to address roster issues. However, with Redick at the helm, the team’s success now hinges on his ability to develop the talent and instill a stronger work ethic.
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Ubong Archibong
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