The Los Angeles Lakers had another underperforming season in the 2023-2024 campaign. Expectations were high with superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the helm. The Lakers were defeated by the Nuggets 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs on Monday. They showed some promise in their final game of the season though, losing by only two to fall 108-106.
LeBron and crew played two other games in the series where they lost by single digits. They were close but no cigar. The Lakers and Nuggets also faced off in the 2023 Western Conference Finals where the Lakers got swept.
With such high-level players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the team and losing in the first round, that reflects badly on the coaching. The Lakers front office fired their head coach.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Wild Coaching Carousel
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The Los Angeles Lakers have not been able to hold a consistent head coach. They have had seven head coaches since 2012. Darvin Ham is the latest head coach to have his time in Los Angeles cut short. Ham coached the team for just two seasons before being canned. Lakers fans have not been a fan of Darvin Ham since soon after he became head coach.
The head coach before him, Frank Vogel, also coached for only two seasons before getting fired.
The last Lakers head coach to hold the job for more than two seasons was Phil Jackson, who coached the team from 2006-2011. I guess it was easy to be successful when you had Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol on your team.
The Lakers had an okay 2023-2024 season, finishing 47-35 (.573). The team finished seventh in the Western Conference.
Darvin Ham’s overall record with the Lakers was 90-74 (.548). He led the team to just an 11-12 record in the playoffs, including two play-in tournament wins. When you have one of the greatest players of all time on your team, you should not have to claw your way into the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers also won the first NBA in-season tournament, beating the Indiana Pacers 123-109. This coaching change shows that the in-season tournament did not mean anything, as the Lakers fizzled out early when it mattered.
After winning the NBA Bubble championship in 2020, the Lakers missed the playoffs in 2021, lost in the first round to the Phoenix Suns in 2022, lost in the Western Conference Finals in 2023, and again lost in the first round in 2o24, although they played a very strong Denver Nuggets team who is coming off of an NBA Finals win last season, losing in five games is not a good look.
Is The End Near For LeBron James?
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The clock is ticking for LeBron James to win a championship with the Lakers. The four-time NBA champion is 39 years old and his time in the league seems to be winding down. LeBron is eligible to be a free agent next summer. James said that he hopes to retire a Laker though.
“I am a Laker, and I am happy, very happy, being a Laker the last six years and I hope it stays that way,” James said in an interview with the Associated Press.
LeBron went on to say that the end of his career is “coming for sure”.
With Lebron James turning 40 in December, it is worth noting that only 31 players in NBA history have played at 40 years old or older. Recent players to play in their forties include former Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem and former Golden State Warriors small forward Andre Iguodala.
It is also worth mentioning that only four players in NBA history have won a championship at 39 years or older. All-time great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won titles at 39 and 40. Other players to accomplish this feat include Bulls center James Edwards in the 1995-1996 season at 40 years old, Spurs power forward Kevin Willis in the 2002-2003 season at 40 years old, and Robert Parrish, another Bulls center in the 1995-1996 season at 43 years old.
So is it possible that LeBron James will win a championship by the time he retires? Yes. Is it going to be difficult? Yes, it is, especially with the current Lakers roster where they don’t have the greatest depth outside of him, Davis, and Austin Reeves.
Was Darvin Ham The Problem?
Rob Pelinka broke up the 2020 title team. Rob Pelinka hired Darvin Ham. Rob Pelinka made the Russell Westbrook trade. Rob Pelinka constructed this flawed roster. Rob Pelinka is the problem and should be fired along with Ham.
— Matt Murphy (@MattMurph24) April 30, 2024
While it was well-documented that Lakers fans hated Darvin Ham if you just type in “Darvin Ham” on X today, Matt Murphy makes a good point. Should management be more to blame for the Los Angeles Lakers’ struggles?
General manager Rob Pelinka has fired more coaches than he has won conference finals since being hired in 2017. While the Lakers’ struggles might be on him as well as Darvin Ham, it is more difficult to fire a general manager than it is to fire a head coach.
Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss will probably not be so quick to fire Rob Pelinka since he won an NBA title, which was a bubble title, but a title nonetheless in 2020. It might not make sense, but historically speaking, it is much easier to fire head coaches more often than general managers because they hold less power in the franchise.
Will the Los Angeles Lakers finally find a coach who will stay for more than two seasons? Time will tell. However, if LeBron James retires in the next two seasons and the team doesn’t acquire another superstar, it will prove tough for the head coach in charge of that team.
About The Author
Cooper Sherman is an avid NFL fan and enjoys watching and covering it the most. The NFL is king. He previously wrote and was a podcaster for the online publications Pro Sports Fanatics and Jersey Column. He is also an NBA fan and watches it occasionally, more when the NFL season ends. Tennis is also an underrated sport to watch. His teams are the Patriots and Celtics, as tough as it is to be a Patriots fan right now. He is optimistic that Jerod Mayo will turn this team in the right direction! Follow him on Instagram and Threads @coopstershermy456, and X/Twitter @justcoopthings.
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