Lakers fire coach Darvin Ham after just two seasons as coach and exiting the team in the first round of the playoffs

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday after just two seasons as coach.

The Lakers announced on social media that they were firing Ham 4 days after the season ended a first-round playoff loss to Denver in five matches.

Ham led Los Angeles to the Western Conference Finals lower than a yr ago in his first season as an NBA head coach. He replaced Frank Vogel, who was fired by the Lakers exactly 18 months after winning the franchise’s seventeenth championship in 2020.

Ham had two winning seasons and two playoff appearances, but that wasn’t enough for the championship-minded Lakers. With little time to capitalize on the simultaneous presence of Anthony Davis and 39-year-old LeBron James – who has not decided whether to return for his twenty second NBA season – the Lakers are once more resetting their coaching staff somewhat than placing the blame on general manager Rob Pelinka for the structure of the warehouse.

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“We greatly appreciate Darvin’s efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments he has achieved over the past two seasons, including last year’s remarkable run to the Western Conference Finals,” Pelinka said in a press release. “We all want to thank Darvin for his dedication and positive attitude. While this was a difficult decision, it is the best course of action after a full season review. This organization will remain steadfast in its commitment to delivering championship-level basketball to Lakers fans around the world.”

Ham hosted a disappointing yr for the Lakers, who went 47-35 in the regular season and won the inaugural NBA midseason tournament. Then the Lakers they defeated New Orleans in the play-in game move as much as seventh in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, but that meant that they had to face Denver, which eliminated them from the playoffs last season.

Los Angeles led the defending champion Nuggets for long stretches of the first round, but Nikola Jokic and his teammates ultimately advanced to the second round series of comeback victories.

“It was a hell of two years to be sitting in that seat,” Ham said after the game. “A lot of good things have been done, but ultimately you want to win that top prize.”

The Lakers’ loss stung because James and Davis had been largely healthy all yr, and each superstars had played in more games than that they had played in an NBA season since 2017-18 – 76 for Davis and 71 for James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. D’Angelo Russell also had a powerful regular season, setting a franchise record for three-pointers made.

This health and success has only translated right into a four-win improvement in the rankings in comparison with last season, with Ham receiving much of the blame from fans and observers for his game management, slow tactical adjustments and reluctance to vary his player rotation and starting lineups. even when something didn’t work.

The Lakers fell right into a hole they couldn’t escape from it went 3-10 during the holiday season right after the Mid-Season Tournament final. Ham was widely criticized for his lineups and rotations during this poor stretch — including curiously benching Russell and Austin Reaves while allowing plenty of playing time for Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish.

This slump ultimately prevented the Lakers from ending in the top six in the West, despite the fact that they finished the regular season with a formidable 28-14 run.

Players publicly supported Ham, but the signs of frustration were clear. After the Lakers blew a 20-point lead and lost to Denver in the second game last month, Davis said the Lakers “have periods where we don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor,” which is widely interpreted as a glimpse into Ham’s coaching competence.

The Lakers achieved only a 43-39 result in their first season under Ham in 2022-2023, but took advantage of more favorable playoff matchups. After defeating Minnesota in the play-in game, they won a playoff series against Memphis and Golden State and reached the conference finals, where they were swept by Denver.

James, Davis and the Lakers haven’t won a playoff round in three of the 4 seasons since winning the 2020 championship in the Florida bubble.

Ham has two years left on his contract with the Lakers, who might be hiring their fourth head coach since James arrived in 2018. The latest coach might be the Lakers’ eighth coach in 14 seasons since the departure of Hall of Famer Phil Jackson in 2011.

Ham had an eight-year NBA profession as an athletic forward, winning a championship with Detroit in 2004. His first NBA assistant coaching job was with the Lakers in 2011, and he spent nine years as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee. seasons – earning his second championship ring with the Bucks in 2021 – before returning to the Lakers as head coach.

James has a $51.4 million player option for next season, and his decision hangs over every offseason signing for the Lakers, who internally expect his return.

Pelinka must then determine whether he could make his long-awaited move for a 3rd superstar via trade or consider the assurances of Rui Hachimura and other players that the Lakers can turn out to be a contender with more continuity.

Russell has an $18.7 million player option after the sharpshooter excelled in the regular season and failed in the playoffs, notoriously going scoreless in the Lakers’ Game 3 against Denver. After Los Angeles was eliminated from the playoffs on Monday, the point guard said he had a “slight advantage.” I’ll try to make use of it.”