Darvin absolutely needs to go. He cost the Lakers several games with his inability to react to changes during games, not calling timeouts, not challenging calls, starting minimum role players and benching starters, not being able to keep the players focused, and lastly not holding himself accountable for his mistakes.
Are you really gonna act like Ham is being scapegoated when they're the 8 seed BC he played Reddish over Rui and benched Reaves for a massive chunk of the season??? They were on pace to be a top 4 seed before that post IST stretch.
Exactly. Bobby needs to stick to numbers. He’s been awful all year, rotations, line ups, challenges, timeouts, overplaying the wrong guys. You name it !! And Bobby is pretending none of that happened and immediately blamed Lebron.
@DEEiBe I agree with you. This entire debate is wild. How many coaches, good or questionable, can deal with constant roster turnover, inconsistent performances by role players, frequent injuries to key players, poor personnel decisions (looking at you Pelinka for pairing two of the most unathletic guards together and for not getting a true backup center) and major turnover issues from their best player (looking at you my G.O.A.T., Lebron)? Those are the primary factors that have the Lakers sitting at home. Debates about challenges and timeouts are subjective and can be levied at any coach.
@@pasilu007 injuries is an excuse for a huge chunk of the beginning they had their roster except Gabe Vincent and he was running an all wing lineup with Bron, Cam, Tauren, Vando and AD 😂 thats a joke of a lineup. To put out a Forward/ Wing players lineup is WILD 😂 dude had no idea what he was doing and figuring it out and still never figured it out after a full season
You have an opinion, great. And, unlike some, I respect it. However, in my view, Reaves was playing average, at best, and deserved to come off the bench. Same with Dlo. Every coach I've had would have done the same. They played a lot better after they returned to the starting lineup. That's not an opinion, however. Feel free to fact-check the numbers.
Comparing the (eventual) termination of Ham to the firing of Vogel in deeming them “scapegoats” is not an argument based in logic. Someone needed to take the fall for the Westbrook debacle and honestly it was terrible that the blame landed on Vogel’s shoulders. That roster was replete with old over the hill vets who were told to have a fast pace which was not sustainable and also compounded by Westbrooks awful nightly performance. He lost the locker room and that is what ultimately cost him his job. Ham is definitely no scapegoat, as his lone decisions both offensively and defensively were atrocious and definitely had a major impact on where the Lakers finished the season. His inability to adjust in game and his utter lack of any personal accountability will ultimately cost him his job. My point is, Vogel was a scapegoat, Ham is just a bad coach.
I personally think the problem is Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets weren't able to guard AD, he was lighting up Jokic. Jokic wasn't doing much more to AD than AD was doing to him. I think the priority should be getting Lauri Markkanen to replace Rui Hachimura, who's 7 foot power forward and bigger version of Michael Porter Jr.
Bobby, the backcourt is just not good enough to beat the best in the West. They need to replace either Dlo or Reaves. I like both, but they can not come back together.
Yep. Both are 7-8 rotation guys on a good team, not starting 5. 20-25 mins per game guys to add some pop off the bench. Neither are starters on a good playoff team.
@@lyinbobbycottonseed thank you. You have a backcourt that cannot compete in the west as starters. Gotta get more athletic and defense at those positions. That's why I wanted dejounte Murray.
That makes sense, only if the backcourt is the strongest, most reliable, offensive force. That may be the case when you DON'T have LBJ & A.D. and therein lies the rub of your point. The Lakers are NOT the Dallas Mavericks with Luca & Kyrie or the Minnesota Timberwolves with KAT & Ant Man where the supporting cast is serviceable, but effective. The Lakers stars are on the wings & the backcourt is serviceable, but effective. What the Lakers need is depth in the supporting cast, especially at center, NOT a third superstar. Good teams learn from mistakes & Palinka definitely learned from the Westbrook debacle. That said, of the two trade pieces mentioned in your comment, DLo is the lesser & more expendable guard. Reaves brings more to the game in other faces of the game when he's not nailing his shots. DLo, when he's cold, adds nothing to the defense, neither as a playmaker nor in the locker room. If Ham had stuck to the plan & kept the strongest unit on the floor, the team would've been more cohesive as a unit, more successful in the regular season & likely would've been in a better position to succeed in the playoffs.
Right? I was thinking to myself "no way in hell do we not double team Murray" also Lebron should have guarded him. The Lakers let Murray beat you twice!
It's simple imo for Lakers moving forward. Gotta move on from Ham and gotta fill out your roster with more consistent role players and especially a legitimate back up big. Lakers had a lead in 70% of the series statistically which is crazy to think about. They had a halftime lead in every game and had double digit leads in nearly every game. They lost on 2 game winners. These two teams are very close the problem is the nuggets are better coached and they have better role players. Ham- failed to use timeouts, failed to make in game adjustments, at a certain point of each game throughout season stopped running plays for no apparent reason which killed the offense. He didn't use the 5 man lineup that got them to wcf until nearly 60 games into season. Had he had common sense and used it from start they are a top 4-5 seed. 17-6 when they played together. At the end of the day you have a decent coach and your role players put up average performances and you win this series that's basically what it came down too. Run it back with Bron and AD but make the proper changes to roster and coaching.
I would upgrade Rui into Lauri Markkanen (Their salaries as basically identical for 2024/2025). Markkanen would be a tough matchup for Michael Porter Jr because he's a 7 footer. It gives the Lakers a third star, a lot more size.
I disagree, I totally see a team giving him 20+ million. He had a good season, is a point guard, and is young. They gave Bruce Brown 23 million and he was a bench player with much less production. He will not be a Laker and the Lakers can't use his salary to replace him.
@@jnachtig2sometimes signing guys to slightly bigger contracts is helpful in trades . I think they gave Bruce brown that money so they could trade for pascal .
My problem with Ham isn’t the last game, the lakers underperformed this season, and Ham made many terrible line up choices post the in season tournament that put the lakers in a position having to fight for a seed in the play in
There is no form of this Laker team that legitimately competes for a title next season. And there is no player you're going to add that makes them contemders. The one option is to let Lebron walk and trade AD while he still has value. Team rebuild should start now.
They good do that but ownership and pelinka wouldn’t want to to do that. They’ll go hard with lebron and ad for another 2/3 years before finally having to rebuild once lbj retires
Jaime Jaquez Jr. would have been amazing for the Lakers, they really missed out on that one. Having him, paired with Reeves and Rui would've added some more depth in the guard rotation. The Lakers have 3 issues to address - they need a consistent point guard (preferably one with a 3-point shot that can be a closer), they need a legitimate backup big/rim protector (they missed Howard and McGee vs Jokic severely), and they need to improve 3-point shooting/perimeter defense at the guard positions. When you look at the guards they'll have to face: SGA, Murray, Morant, Curry, Kyrie, Brunson, Haliburton, Edwards, Fox, Mitchell, Lillard, Doncic... this is the deepest position in the league and as great as DeAngelo Russell was in spurts he hasn't lived up to the hype. Even though Trae Young doesn't help as a defender, he consistently scores and can have a great pick and roll with Davis and James... Mitchell would be my #1 choice but don't think the Cavs will let him go, gotta get a good player from a bad team, unfortunately will likely cost you Reeves, picks and more...
Bron going back to Cleveland so LA should try to move Davis to start the rebuild because AD isn’t durable enough to build around & him playing 76 games this year will be the best chance you have to maximize the value in a return. If LeBron leaves & Davis gets hurt Lakers will be stuck with a massive contract
I don't think Darvin Ham is the reason this team failed but I don't think he did anything to really benefit them either. His lineups and rotations weren't good enough and he was awful at using his timeouts. He clearly lost the locker room at some point so there's no repairing that anyway and it's time to move on. But I also don't think any new coach alone makes this team suddenly a championship contender because it all comes back to the simple fact they CANNOT beat Denver in a series with this roster. It's not happening. Jokic + Murray and their supporting cast is too much for this Lakers' team to handle and they don't have enough assets to change that. The sad truth is if LeBron wants even a small chance at winning another title before he retires then he should go elsewhere. He's still amazing but he's not superman anymore. The Lakers have wasted too many trade pieces and let go of too many useful players to be able to put together a strong enough roster for LeBron and AD to even reach the finals again if he were to stay.
You're an anomaly on here: posting a mature perspective is a rarity. The roster construction never really made sense when you compare it to the top half of the Western Conference. Over the years, the Lakers have depleted their trove of trade assets. We now see the impact of three or four consecutive years of poor roster design. Let me be clear, I love the way Austin plays and thinks the game. Same with Dlo. But, I do not see a situation where that starting backcourt is good enough alongside Lebron and A.D. At 39, Lebron needs a true bucket-getter at one of those guard spots. It would also be most helpful if one guard could defend shifty guards like Murray. Neither Austin nor Dlo sits seamlessly into either of those categories. That puts additional stress on Bron to be dynamic with the basketball on offense or left to try to provide additional help on defense. Those problems were very stark in critical parts of key playoff games. Opposing coaches clearly saw what many of us saw. It does not take genius to attack the weak spots on the Lakers. The other glaring weakness was no true big. That includes A.D. The 2020 recipe was the right formula, where they protected him with 2 veteran bigs.
Lakers should go all in for donovon mitchel. And sign andre drummond, howard Line up PG- Donovan Mictchell SG- Max Christie SF- LBJ PF- AD C- Andre drummond or Dwight Howard Bench PG- Spencer SG- Reddish SF- Prince PF- Vando C- Wood All balance, they just need sign a great coach
Absolutely right about Lebron, Arron Gordon out played him the entire series. It pisses me off that they don’t point out when Lebron makes mistakes, he also cries a lot and I can’t stand that.
As a lifelong (circa 1989) Orlando Magic fan, I'd respectfully decline D'Angelo Russell. I'd prefer Monk, or hell, even Klay at this point. Maybe even Trent Jr. Anything but DLO.
They have a pretty solid roster which is why so many had them winning the chip if they were to beat Denver. They’ll be back in the mix next season, most likely. They’d be smart to go after Klay Thompson.
Ham is not a scapegoat. The criticism he wears from lakers fans has been there for a long time. Even when they are winning. His rotations and use of timeouts and his lack of play calling in big moments are all real criticisms and real problems.
Look at everything the lakers have given up for lebron to get first AD and then Westbrook. And now they are willing to draft bronny to keep him. unbelievable.
The best thing is a team a team drafts Bronny in the 2nd round and LeBron goes to that team too. LA lose the $$ and get someone else. If it's a trade, throw in a few low draft picks. LeBron gets to play one season with his son..Maybe Cleveland? Finish where it started. And being in the east, at least have a chance
They def aint getting BOTH Lavine and Caruso. Also, I dont know if Chicago would want that trade even if it was the same offer but just for Lavine or Caruso respectively. And what picks you talking about?
It's about everyone else every time with this guy. The energy he brings. to a team is draining. Every time it's an excuse and an excuse and an excuse and it's exhausting. LeBron is the real life Galactus, he drains the life out of a team and then leaves.
I feel the lakers got to bring back d.lo . 18m-20m is a good contract. Lakers for me should trade hachimura and reeves and try get derozen or dejoune murray. If we be honest reeves have not improved. If anything his defensive frailities got exposed.
It’s clear that you didn’t watch many games. Ham’s inability to make halftime adjustments killed them. Game 2, as the 20 pts lead disappeared, Ham refused to use timeouts. Lakers lost and Ham took home 2 timeouts and a challenge.
@@cheaseeds6207 No doubt Ham sucks, but it's not all his fault. Most people are too scared or in their feelings to blame the ailing superduper star that takes many plays off to rest, but will still expect to get paid 55+million per year going forward. I don't see any future for the Lakers with that contract on the books. It won't be Brad Beal bad, but it will be bad.
6:42 Why so emotional talking about Lakers? lol This is kinda funny. Plus is Ham is getting SCAPEGOATED then Teams should be lined up ready to hire him ASAP. And... there's no one. Just like Frank Vogel, much love, when he got fired. Suns took him and sounds like they're about to really SCAPEGOAT Vogel. Anyways~
Brother, Darvin literally was a D+ coach you can’t tell me Bobby believes he was on the caliber of other west coaches. Why not get someone better they shouldn’t have fired Vogel but Darvin? Not a good coach
I really want the Lakers to blow it up and rebuild. I hate watching this team struggle to barely make the playoffs. They don't have cap flexability to put together a contending roster. Know when to hold em, and know when to fold em.
I think In order to commit to a rebuild they have to know that lebron is gone for real. And LeBron is going to want till the last second to make sure his son gets drafted. By that time the Lakers may have very few options.
@@LordZevv Sadly I think that you're right. Lebron will be the hold up. I just don't want to see the Lakers mortgage what little future they have to keep Lebron happy for another season. If Lebron says jump, the Lakers will say how high? Lebron is playing for stats and for his son. He's not playing to win. The game that the Lakers lost with Aaron Gordon getting all of those rebounds and put backs, that was Lebron's box out assignment and Lebron just wanted to play on one side of the court. The ball is in the Lakers court. They have to commit to a rebuild. Lebron has a player option. So if the Lakers go to Lebron and say: "This isn't worth the effort. We're going to rebuild." Then Lebron can opt out, get Bronny drafted and go play with his son for a year. That also lets the Lakers trade AD for draft assets and kick start the rebuild process.
@@Davivd2wtf are you talking about? Open your eyes and use your brain. Lakers have underperformed for the past decade because of Jeanie & the FO. Do you remember what happened between 2013-18? They absolutely ruined the end of Kobe’s career and gave money to horrible free agents left and right. LeBron came to LA on his own, no LeBron no AD. No one wanted to be a Laker for years. You say the FO caters to LeBron. That can’t be farther from the truth. In 2019 Lakers couldve got Ty Lue, he was ready to sign and the FO wouldn’t give him a good contract and wanted to pick his staff so he went to LAC. 2022 Caruso (Bron’s guy) wanted to take a pay cut to stay and FO said no. 2021 Dwight wanted to return FO didn’t offer him. Dudley (Bron & ADs close friend) wanted an assistant HC position they said no. They wouldn’t trade THT for years and this past offseason they kept their pick to draft JHS (a rookie who did nothing) and then refused to make a move at the deadline. The FO doesn’t care about LeBron and winning. They’re operating as if he’s 29 and not 39. They keep doing the minimum and saying “next year”. It’s all about money for them. The minute Bron walks out that door Lakers will go back to losing.
wait so not starting your best 5 who are also your 5 highest players for 50 games doesnt matter. instead putting in minimum contract players and letting them go through mistakes while pulling the guys who got you to the western conference finals wasnt a coach issue. holding onto timeouts and challenges all season while other teams go onto a 15+ run didnt help? theres way more thats obvious that I could say and all the media knows it.
Rui was garbage after getting a good contract. Vincent was garbage after getting a good contract. DLo was inconsistent and only played better even he thought he would be traded. And Reeves can't play defense at all... and is inconsistent as well. So there were more people to blame than Darvin Ham. Seems like the Lakers like to splurge to get players. Then after the players get their bag, they forget what got them the bag in the first place. 💯
They have one more move then it’s over. I’ll keep DLo, trade Reeves and get a 2 or 3. Imo Derozan a good fit but definitely a two way wing player. I give it two years and the Lakers going to be irrelevant without LeBron.
Its not scapegoat Bobby smh. Ham's rotations is almost always questionable, the last second shots of Murray, he did not send a slight double to Murray for him to give up the ball. They were burned twice in the last few secs but there was no double on Murray on almost the exact play?? If you were the coach you will make KCP, AG or MPJ shoot it rather than Murray duh.
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby...You think Darvin has nothing to do with being a 7th Seed? This is the man who benched Reaves and DLo after the in season tournament for a stretch of games where we loss "A LOT!" His line up choices at the beginning of the season were atrocious. Darvin get 80% of the blame pie for the failure of this season. The job at times just seem too big for him. Hell, his own players question his judgment and in game decisions.
Ive been saying this since last year, without any defense this team is going no where,they traded russ for shooting and now end up making the least 3's in the nba (only the magic are worst). Lakers should have done their best to land DJ in the trade deadline. He is an amazing defender,and doesn't need teammates for shot making. And HE IS A REAL POINT GUARD who gets his team involved and doesn't rely on the three ball like d'angelo Russell.
Bron can Go . 3 min spurts of greatness for 50 mil ? We should rather let him walk and spend that $$ elsewhere . Trade DLO - trade Rui - and get depth !! Preferably at Center . Oh and PLEASE GET RID OF SPENCER D!
Keep Vincent, Reddish, Cristian Wood. Keep, Austin Reaves, or Let trade him. Keep Vanderbilt. Keep D'angelo Russell, or trade Him. Keep Schifino, Lewis, Castleton. Keep prince. And tell mr. No defense Hays, And Dinwiddie, to hit the road, And dont come back no more.
Kudos to the Lakers for being the cleanest playing team to ever play the game!!! 104 total FT's shot by the Lakers to 54 for the Nuggets over 5 games, a potential 10 point advantage to LA in every game But of course its the Coaches problem
This team still had an outside chance vs the defending champs, so it’s not like they are miles away from contention. Age is an issue next season still, I do wonder if they can swing the fence with Klay if DLo ops out. I would be willing to lose Reeves plus picks only if its for DMitch, absolutely not for Trea young.
If lakers sign him to extention would be crazy,dont care how well he playing it not adding up 2 success and he play no D on regular and for all that money u need players like that as lakers fan please front office be smart think big picture, him and AD or not win title
Same question each year: who will be the latest scapegoat player or coach to excuse lebron's shortcomings? I know if I was a player I'd want to play with someone who dribbles the ball of his own foot and then blames me while I'm on the other side of the court. Adam Silver, the refs, the media - their primal goal is to get bron another title by any means necessary with the ultimate goal of getting the majority of people to agree that he is the goat of nba basketball which I don't believe will EVER happen.
Rebuild. It doesn't matter what moves the Lakers make. A 39-year-old LeBron and Anthony Davis are not leading them to another championship any time soon, not through this Western Conference. They came back with the same roster they ended last year with, but only won 4 more games despite both LeBron and AD staying mostly healthy. They ended up in the play in AGAIN, ran into the Nuggets AGAIN, and pretty much got the same result AGAIN. Even if they didn't run into them again, they will run into the likes of the Mavs, Wolves, OKC, Kings, or the Pelicans at some point. They can not keep going like this. Let LeBron leave if he wants. If he stays, trade him and AD for assets, fire Ham, and start the rebuild.
Ham didn’t full court press in 2 GAMES. He let the other team cross mid court with ease & get a game winning shot up with 26 seconds left in a game… TWICE!!! THAT’S A BAD COACH! HAM IS A BAD COACH BOBBY
I wanna see you biased "Analysts" treat KD, booker, KAWHI, Steph, Giannis with the same hate and unrealistic standards. You don't cause you all Lebron Haters smh. Dislike video and uninterested...
Lakers don't have a legit backcourt. Every single playoff team other than maybe the Magic, have a better guard than the Lakers. Dlo is literally a coin flip on whether he shows up as an WNBA player or an NBA player on a nightly basis.
Its funny how these ex-execs talk down to folks about firing coaches when its exactly what they did. Yeah ham didnt miss a 3bor box out but did he make in game adjustments? Did he mess with the lineup too often? Did he not call a timeout during a run? All of these things cost games that put you in the 7th seed. Maybe Dlo doesn't go into a long slump right before the trade deadline completely tanking his value if hea not pulled out the lineup. I guess its ok to be shortsighted for clicks
This iteration of the lakers is over. Blow the whole thing up, coach included. Sloppy passes, missed free throws, anemic defense and old bodies can’t compete anymore
The idea WAS to move the reigns of LA from LeBron to AD, right? He too fragile and inconsistent. This not NO Pelicans AD. He gotta go. Your goat & top 10 player produced 1 title and has been gut punched by the same team 2 years in a row. Get em outta there.
@@lakeithrashadimagine if they won no rings, like MOST of these other teams. Whew yall would be having a fit like LA was 2011-2019 and not even making the playoffs often times.
Yo, ESPN, for the love of God, send Bobby a tech person to get his home setup right.
What’s wrong with it lol
6-0 ➡️🏀🐐 MJ23
4-6 ➡️🤣🤣 Le4-6
At the end he said it’s all shot in Photobooth. Its not terrible but he totally deserves a SWFL video assistant.
@winonafrog everyone at work calls me the "Alpha Male" so is it you are jealous of that???
Lmao the Pistons paid the ghost 👻 of Joe Harris 20 million dollars 💸 they'll certainly pay up to 25 million for DLo!
Darvin absolutely needs to go. He cost the Lakers several games with his inability to react to changes during games, not calling timeouts, not challenging calls, starting minimum role players and benching starters, not being able to keep the players focused, and lastly not holding himself accountable for his mistakes.
Because he the one out there playing .. yeah ok..
Y’all wanted ham to do magic and gift y’all a win. 😂
Are you really gonna act like Ham is being scapegoated when they're the 8 seed BC he played Reddish over Rui and benched Reaves for a massive chunk of the season??? They were on pace to be a top 4 seed before that post IST stretch.
Exactly. Bobby needs to stick to numbers. He’s been awful all year, rotations, line ups, challenges, timeouts, overplaying the wrong guys. You name it !! And Bobby is pretending none of that happened and immediately blamed Lebron.
Ham isn’t the only reason why they were an 8 seed. Let’s be real. There was a combination of reasons. I don’t like Ham at all but it isn’t all on him
@DEEiBe I agree with you. This entire debate is wild. How many coaches, good or questionable, can deal with constant roster turnover, inconsistent performances by role players, frequent injuries to key players, poor personnel decisions (looking at you Pelinka for pairing two of the most unathletic guards together and for not getting a true backup center) and major turnover issues from their best player (looking at you my G.O.A.T., Lebron)? Those are the primary factors that have the Lakers sitting at home. Debates about challenges and timeouts are subjective and can be levied at any coach.
@@pasilu007 injuries is an excuse for a huge chunk of the beginning they had their roster except Gabe Vincent and he was running an all wing lineup with Bron, Cam, Tauren, Vando and AD 😂 thats a joke of a lineup. To put out a Forward/ Wing players lineup is WILD 😂 dude had no idea what he was doing and figuring it out and still never figured it out after a full season
You have an opinion, great. And, unlike some, I respect it. However, in my view, Reaves was playing average, at best, and deserved to come off the bench. Same with Dlo. Every coach I've had would have done the same. They played a lot better after they returned to the starting lineup. That's not an opinion, however. Feel free to fact-check the numbers.
Ham needed to get a stop in game 2 to send the game into overtime and didn’t put in a defensive unit, but kept DLO on the floor… THAT’s a BAD COACH
Comparing the (eventual) termination of Ham to the firing of Vogel in deeming them “scapegoats” is not an argument based in logic. Someone needed to take the fall for the Westbrook debacle and honestly it was terrible that the blame landed on Vogel’s shoulders. That roster was replete with old over the hill vets who were told to have a fast pace which was not sustainable and also compounded by Westbrooks awful nightly performance. He lost the locker room and that is what ultimately cost him his job.
Ham is definitely no scapegoat, as his lone decisions both offensively and defensively were atrocious and definitely had a major impact on where the Lakers finished the season. His inability to adjust in game and his utter lack of any personal accountability will ultimately cost him his job. My point is, Vogel was a scapegoat, Ham is just a bad coach.
LA better with AD at PF, get C who can bang with Jokic, Gobert, etc.
agreed, but if so, AD needs to take 500 outside jumpers every day from now until training camp.
I personally think the problem is Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets weren't able to guard AD, he was lighting up Jokic. Jokic wasn't doing much more to AD than AD was doing to him. I think the priority should be getting Lauri Markkanen to replace Rui Hachimura, who's 7 foot power forward and bigger version of Michael Porter Jr.
Oh let’s go shopping then at Gobert Depot 😂
@@rickyd2929 Would be tough to get Lauri Markkanen, no?
Thank you! I’m tired of people saying we need a backup big (which is true) but more importantly we need a starting caliber center to play the 5
Bobby, the backcourt is just not good enough to beat the best in the West. They need to replace either Dlo or Reaves. I like both, but they can not come back together.
Yep. Both are 7-8 rotation guys on a good team, not starting 5. 20-25 mins per game guys to add some pop off the bench. Neither are starters on a good playoff team.
@@lyinbobbycottonseed EXACTLY 💯
@@lyinbobbycottonseed thank you. You have a backcourt that cannot compete in the west as starters. Gotta get more athletic and defense at those positions. That's why I wanted dejounte Murray.
That makes sense, only if the backcourt is the strongest, most reliable, offensive force. That may be the case when you DON'T have LBJ & A.D. and therein lies the rub of your point. The Lakers are NOT the Dallas Mavericks with Luca & Kyrie or the Minnesota Timberwolves with KAT & Ant Man where the supporting cast is serviceable, but effective. The Lakers stars are on the wings & the backcourt is serviceable, but effective. What the Lakers need is depth in the supporting cast, especially at center, NOT a third superstar. Good teams learn from mistakes & Palinka definitely learned from the Westbrook debacle. That said, of the two trade pieces mentioned in your comment, DLo is the lesser & more expendable guard. Reaves brings more to the game in other faces of the game when he's not nailing his shots. DLo, when he's cold, adds nothing to the defense, neither as a playmaker nor in the locker room. If Ham had stuck to the plan & kept the strongest unit on the floor, the team would've been more cohesive as a unit, more successful in the regular season & likely would've been in a better position to succeed in the playoffs.
Not doubling Jamal who uses same play is crazy !i rather let someone else beat us
And this is coaching????
Right? I was thinking to myself "no way in hell do we not double team Murray" also Lebron should have guarded him. The Lakers let Murray beat you twice!
How can you double Jamal and Jokic? lol it’s just not possible. They played great D, but great players rise when it counts
It's simple imo for Lakers moving forward. Gotta move on from Ham and gotta fill out your roster with more consistent role players and especially a legitimate back up big. Lakers had a lead in 70% of the series statistically which is crazy to think about. They had a halftime lead in every game and had double digit leads in nearly every game. They lost on 2 game winners. These two teams are very close the problem is the nuggets are better coached and they have better role players.
Ham- failed to use timeouts, failed to make in game adjustments, at a certain point of each game throughout season stopped running plays for no apparent reason which killed the offense. He didn't use the 5 man lineup that got them to wcf until nearly 60 games into season. Had he had common sense and used it from start they are a top 4-5 seed. 17-6 when they played together.
At the end of the day you have a decent coach and your role players put up average performances and you win this series that's basically what it came down too. Run it back with Bron and AD but make the proper changes to roster and coaching.
Facts 👌
Lakers are now 8-1 in the playoffs on hypothetical win
I would upgrade Rui into Lauri Markkanen (Their salaries as basically identical for 2024/2025). Markkanen would be a tough matchup for Michael Porter Jr because he's a 7 footer. It gives the Lakers a third star, a lot more size.
@@rickyd2929I'm sure Utah would do that trade 🙄🤦♂️
I disagree, I totally see a team giving him 20+ million. He had a good season, is a point guard, and is young. They gave Bruce Brown 23 million and he was a bench player with much less production. He will not be a Laker and the Lakers can't use his salary to replace him.
Pacers gave him that money because they had to.
@@giorgitezelashvili7060 i dont understand, he was a free agent, they didnt even have to sign him??? I dont understand?
@@jnachtig2 to fill capspace with trade-able contracts as used in the pascal siakam trade
@@jnachtig2sometimes signing guys to slightly bigger contracts is helpful in trades . I think they gave Bruce brown that money so they could trade for pascal .
My problem with Ham isn’t the last game, the lakers underperformed this season, and Ham made many terrible line up choices post the in season tournament that put the lakers in a position having to fight for a seed in the play in
Why does no one ever criticize the poor decision making of Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka.
We do, but they never get off sadly, back in 2022 they were getting mauled even
Because lebron dictates and has the final say in everything those two do
D’Angelo worth more than you think
There is no form of this Laker team that legitimately competes for a title next season. And there is no player you're going to add that makes them contemders. The one option is to let Lebron walk and trade AD while he still has value. Team rebuild should start now.
They good do that but ownership and pelinka wouldn’t want to to do that. They’ll go hard with lebron and ad for another 2/3 years before finally having to rebuild once lbj retires
Bobby with another elite breakdown. 🔥 🔥 🔥
Jaime Jaquez Jr. would have been amazing for the Lakers, they really missed out on that one. Having him, paired with Reeves and Rui would've added some more depth in the guard rotation. The Lakers have 3 issues to address - they need a consistent point guard (preferably one with a 3-point shot that can be a closer), they need a legitimate backup big/rim protector (they missed Howard and McGee vs Jokic severely), and they need to improve 3-point shooting/perimeter defense at the guard positions. When you look at the guards they'll have to face: SGA, Murray, Morant, Curry, Kyrie, Brunson, Haliburton, Edwards, Fox, Mitchell, Lillard, Doncic... this is the deepest position in the league and as great as DeAngelo Russell was in spurts he hasn't lived up to the hype. Even though Trae Young doesn't help as a defender, he consistently scores and can have a great pick and roll with Davis and James... Mitchell would be my #1 choice but don't think the Cavs will let him go, gotta get a good player from a bad team, unfortunately will likely cost you Reeves, picks and more...
Couldn't believe they didn't draft Jaquez. I screamed at my TV when Lakers made their pick.🤦♂️
I told Lakers fans they should have signed Dennis & Lonnie back instead of signing DLO back. Rob is a horrible GM
DLo had a great season
@@IsaacSturdee those two combined is better than DLO
They can defend
Very informative video. Well done ESPN
Well done Bobby Marks*
6-0 ➡️🏀🐐 MJ23
4-6 ➡️🤣🤣 Le4-6
@@internet2055 MJ played against 10 HOF in the finals
LBJ played against 31. MJ had a WAY easier era.
Bron going back to Cleveland so LA should try to move Davis to start the rebuild because AD isn’t durable enough to build around & him playing 76 games this year will be the best chance you have to maximize the value in a return. If LeBron leaves & Davis gets hurt Lakers will be stuck with a massive contract
Rui and DLo averaged 4 less points than the regular season. The role players is why we lost, and Ham with his timeouts
I want to see Austin reaves in a descent team where he can have the ball in his hands lot more. I think he is an amazing player.
It’s funny to me that everyone caping for Darvin have yet to verbally say they agree that starting price 50% of the season was the right choice.
I don't think Darvin Ham is the reason this team failed but I don't think he did anything to really benefit them either. His lineups and rotations weren't good enough and he was awful at using his timeouts. He clearly lost the locker room at some point so there's no repairing that anyway and it's time to move on.
But I also don't think any new coach alone makes this team suddenly a championship contender because it all comes back to the simple fact they CANNOT beat Denver in a series with this roster. It's not happening. Jokic + Murray and their supporting cast is too much for this Lakers' team to handle and they don't have enough assets to change that. The sad truth is if LeBron wants even a small chance at winning another title before he retires then he should go elsewhere. He's still amazing but he's not superman anymore. The Lakers have wasted too many trade pieces and let go of too many useful players to be able to put together a strong enough roster for LeBron and AD to even reach the finals again if he were to stay.
You're an anomaly on here: posting a mature perspective is a rarity. The roster construction never really made sense when you compare it to the top half of the Western Conference. Over the years, the Lakers have depleted their trove of trade assets. We now see the impact of three or four consecutive years of poor roster design. Let me be clear, I love the way Austin plays and thinks the game. Same with Dlo. But, I do not see a situation where that starting backcourt is good enough alongside Lebron and A.D. At 39, Lebron needs a true bucket-getter at one of those guard spots. It would also be most helpful if one guard could defend shifty guards like Murray. Neither Austin nor Dlo sits seamlessly into either of those categories. That puts additional stress on Bron to be dynamic with the basketball on offense or left to try to provide additional help on defense. Those problems were very stark in critical parts of key playoff games. Opposing coaches clearly saw what many of us saw. It does not take genius to attack the weak spots on the Lakers. The other glaring weakness was no true big. That includes A.D. The 2020 recipe was the right formula, where they protected him with 2 veteran bigs.
I was hoping you had potential players to discuss
Who? How can they get better players? They're sorta stuck
Lakers should go all in for donovon mitchel. And sign andre drummond, howard
Line up
PG- Donovan Mictchell
SG- Max Christie
SF- LBJ
PF- AD
C- Andre drummond or Dwight Howard
Bench
PG- Spencer
SG- Reddish
SF- Prince
PF- Vando
C- Wood
All balance, they just need sign a great coach
Yawn
“Time to face reality” a concept Laker fans and the media is incapable of grasping.
We grasp well actually
Improve the backcourt and the bench
Reeves is by far the best trade chip.
Absolutely right about Lebron, Arron Gordon out played him the entire series. It pisses me off that they don’t point out when Lebron makes mistakes, he also cries a lot and I can’t stand that.
As a lifelong (circa 1989) Orlando Magic fan, I'd respectfully decline D'Angelo Russell. I'd prefer Monk, or hell, even Klay at this point. Maybe even Trent Jr. Anything but DLO.
I’m a lifelong Magic fan as well and I don’t want any part of DLO
They have a pretty solid roster which is why so many had them winning the chip if they were to beat Denver. They’ll be back in the mix next season, most likely.
They’d be smart to go after Klay Thompson.
Won the chiP ? They would’ve been underdog against the wolves and celtics nobody but delusional lakers fans said that
Ham is not a scapegoat. The criticism he wears from lakers fans has been there for a long time. Even when they are winning. His rotations and use of timeouts and his lack of play calling in big moments are all real criticisms and real problems.
What taking so long to do the spurs off-season guide they’ve been eliminated for months
Look at everything the lakers have given up for lebron to get first AD and then Westbrook. And now they are willing to draft bronny to keep him. unbelievable.
I WILL BE STUNNED IF LAKERS USE THE 17TH PICK IN BRONNY!!!
Lakers doesn’t want DLO anymore he can leave
Not using Ham as an excuse. Lebron gets blame and so dose Ham
Reaves Rui Gabe vincent + a pick for Dejaunte murray + bogdan or clint …everyone keeps saying trae or donovan when that won’t happen
The best thing is a team a team drafts Bronny in the 2nd round and LeBron goes to that team too. LA lose the $$ and get someone else. If it's a trade, throw in a few low draft picks. LeBron gets to play one season with his son..Maybe Cleveland?
Finish where it started. And being in the east, at least have a chance
Time to add more superstars LeFlop? Maybe 2 more or perhaps 3 more? Or go the easiest way, jump ship to another team, like in 2010?
Bulls receive: D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura & picks
Lakers receive: Zach Lavine & Alex Caruso
Lol why would the Bulls trade for goes missing D Lo
They not letting Reaves go
@@blade5883 to get rid of Lavine's contract?
you must be a Bulls fan.
They def aint getting BOTH Lavine and Caruso. Also, I dont know if Chicago would want that trade even if it was the same offer but just for Lavine or Caruso respectively. And what picks you talking about?
It's about everyone else every time with this guy. The energy he brings. to a team is draining. Every time it's an excuse and an excuse and an excuse and it's exhausting. LeBron is the real life Galactus, he drains the life out of a team and then leaves.
ESPN putting in the least amount of effort here.
I feel the lakers got to bring back d.lo . 18m-20m is a good contract. Lakers for me should trade hachimura and reeves and try get derozen or dejoune murray. If we be honest reeves have not improved. If anything his defensive frailities got exposed.
It’s clear that you didn’t watch many games. Ham’s inability to make halftime adjustments killed them. Game 2, as the 20 pts lead disappeared, Ham refused to use timeouts. Lakers lost and Ham took home 2 timeouts and a challenge.
Should have call a time out in game 2
Darvin ham a scrape goat!?!?! You clearly haven’t been watching the lakers all season long
As soon as i heard that, i was like this guy a clown
@@cheaseeds6207 No doubt Ham sucks, but it's not all his fault. Most people are too scared or in their feelings to blame the ailing superduper star that takes many plays off to rest, but will still expect to get paid 55+million per year going forward. I don't see any future for the Lakers with that contract on the books. It won't be Brad Beal bad, but it will be bad.
6:42 Why so emotional talking about Lakers? lol
This is kinda funny.
Plus is Ham is getting SCAPEGOATED then Teams should be lined up ready to hire him ASAP.
And... there's no one.
Just like Frank Vogel, much love, when he got fired. Suns took him and sounds like they're about to really SCAPEGOAT Vogel. Anyways~
Dlo can definitely clear 20MM… he will likely get around 22. He’s not coming back to LA
DLo sign and trade maybe? But for who??
It ain't Ham's fault. Blame Pelinka and Jeannie Buss.
Brother, Darvin literally was a D+ coach you can’t tell me Bobby believes he was on the caliber of other west coaches. Why not get someone better they shouldn’t have fired Vogel but Darvin? Not a good coach
I really want the Lakers to blow it up and rebuild. I hate watching this team struggle to barely make the playoffs. They don't have cap flexability to put together a contending roster. Know when to hold em, and know when to fold em.
I think In order to commit to a rebuild they have to know that lebron is gone for real. And LeBron is going to want till the last second to make sure his son gets drafted. By that time the Lakers may have very few options.
@@LordZevv Sadly I think that you're right. Lebron will be the hold up. I just don't want to see the Lakers mortgage what little future they have to keep Lebron happy for another season. If Lebron says jump, the Lakers will say how high? Lebron is playing for stats and for his son. He's not playing to win. The game that the Lakers lost with Aaron Gordon getting all of those rebounds and put backs, that was Lebron's box out assignment and Lebron just wanted to play on one side of the court.
The ball is in the Lakers court. They have to commit to a rebuild. Lebron has a player option. So if the Lakers go to Lebron and say: "This isn't worth the effort. We're going to rebuild." Then Lebron can opt out, get Bronny drafted and go play with his son for a year. That also lets the Lakers trade AD for draft assets and kick start the rebuild process.
@@Davivd2 yup. Its best for them to cut the cord themselves but the Lakers fans will blame Jeanie Bus for the downfall after he leaves.
@@Davivd2wtf are you talking about? Open your eyes and use your brain. Lakers have underperformed for the past decade because of Jeanie & the FO. Do you remember what happened between 2013-18? They absolutely ruined the end of Kobe’s career and gave money to horrible free agents left and right. LeBron came to LA on his own, no LeBron no AD. No one wanted to be a Laker for years.
You say the FO caters to LeBron. That can’t be farther from the truth. In 2019 Lakers couldve got Ty Lue, he was ready to sign and the FO wouldn’t give him a good contract and wanted to pick his staff so he went to LAC. 2022 Caruso (Bron’s guy) wanted to take a pay cut to stay and FO said no. 2021 Dwight wanted to return FO didn’t offer him. Dudley (Bron & ADs close friend) wanted an assistant HC position they said no. They wouldn’t trade THT for years and this past offseason they kept their pick to draft JHS (a rookie who did nothing) and then refused to make a move at the deadline.
The FO doesn’t care about LeBron and winning. They’re operating as if he’s 29 and not 39. They keep doing the minimum and saying “next year”. It’s all about money for them. The minute Bron walks out that door Lakers will go back to losing.
wait so not starting your best 5 who are also your 5 highest players for 50 games doesnt matter. instead putting in minimum contract players and letting them go through mistakes while pulling the guys who got you to the western conference finals wasnt a coach issue. holding onto timeouts and challenges all season while other teams go onto a 15+ run didnt help? theres way more thats obvious that I could say and all the media knows it.
It’s been 40 seconds since LeBron failed in the playoffs again. Time to get him more help! 💀💀💀
Time for him to move on.
Rui was garbage after getting a good contract. Vincent was garbage after getting a good contract. DLo was inconsistent and only played better even he thought he would be traded. And Reeves can't play defense at all... and is inconsistent as well. So there were more people to blame than Darvin Ham. Seems like the Lakers like to splurge to get players. Then after the players get their bag, they forget what got them the bag in the first place. 💯
I don't get Rui, he is slow to improve, but he keeps improving....DLo is not getting any better
They have one more move then it’s over. I’ll keep DLo, trade Reeves and get a 2 or 3. Imo Derozan a good fit but definitely a two way wing player. I give it two years and the Lakers going to be irrelevant without LeBron.
Its not scapegoat Bobby smh. Ham's rotations is almost always questionable, the last second shots of Murray, he did not send a slight double to Murray for him to give up the ball. They were burned twice in the last few secs but there was no double on Murray on almost the exact play?? If you were the coach you will make KCP, AG or MPJ shoot it rather than Murray duh.
Bobby, Bobby, Bobby...You think Darvin has nothing to do with being a 7th Seed? This is the man who benched Reaves and DLo after the in season tournament for a stretch of games where we loss "A LOT!" His line up choices at the beginning of the season were atrocious. Darvin get 80% of the blame pie for the failure of this season. The job at times just seem too big for him. Hell, his own players question his judgment and in game decisions.
Ive been saying this since last year, without any defense this team is going no where,they traded russ for shooting and now end up making the least 3's in the nba (only the magic are worst). Lakers should have done their best to land DJ in the trade deadline. He is an amazing defender,and doesn't need teammates for shot making. And HE IS A REAL POINT GUARD who gets his team involved and doesn't rely on the three ball like d'angelo Russell.
Bron can Go . 3 min spurts of greatness for 50 mil ? We should rather let him walk and spend that $$ elsewhere . Trade DLO - trade Rui - and get depth !! Preferably at Center . Oh and PLEASE GET RID OF SPENCER D!
Keep Vincent, Reddish, Cristian
Wood. Keep, Austin Reaves, or
Let trade him. Keep Vanderbilt.
Keep D'angelo Russell, or trade
Him. Keep Schifino, Lewis,
Castleton. Keep prince.
And tell mr. No defense Hays,
And Dinwiddie, to hit the road,
And dont come back no more.
DeAngelo, come to NY!!
but what if another teams drafts him before 55 👀
Kudos to the Lakers for being the cleanest playing team to ever play the game!!! 104 total FT's shot by the Lakers to 54 for the Nuggets over 5 games, a potential 10 point advantage to LA in every game But of course its the Coaches problem
You got three guys that don't play really good defense, D-Lo, Reaves, James in your starting lineup but that's the Coaches fault?
This team still had an outside chance vs the defending champs, so it’s not like they are miles away from contention. Age is an issue next season still, I do wonder if they can swing the fence with Klay if DLo ops out. I would be willing to lose Reeves plus picks only if its for DMitch, absolutely not for Trea young.
D-lo to Pelicans?
AD don't even want to attempt a shot in the 4th Q, it's Lebrons Faults 🤷🏻♂️
Davis is just not “The Guy”. Russell has to go. Bring back Pat Bev as a spark plug.
If lakers sign him to extention would be crazy,dont care how well he playing it not adding up 2 success and he play no D on regular and for all that money u need players like that as lakers fan please front office be smart think big picture, him and AD or not win title
I think Darvin Ham will get fired if so I wonder who will be the coach?
LePlayerCoach
So ham made no mistakes?? It was just the box out and missed three?
Bobby Marks is a 10/10🥵
7/10
Why not appoint LBJ as Playing Coach... Let's really see what he is made of.
You are wrong Detroit will sign D’Angelo Russell
Dlo could go to Knicks, 76ers, Heat, Cavs, Pelicans, Pacers, Hawks, Raptors. Many better teams out there for him than loser Pistons.
Ah yes, another Lebron hater. How original.
Same question each year: who will be the latest scapegoat player or coach to excuse lebron's shortcomings? I know if I was a player I'd want to play with someone who dribbles the ball of his own foot and then blames me while I'm on the other side of the court. Adam Silver, the refs, the media - their primal goal is to get bron another title by any means necessary with the ultimate goal of getting the majority of people to agree that he is the goat of nba basketball which I don't believe will EVER happen.
Rebuild. It doesn't matter what moves the Lakers make. A 39-year-old LeBron and Anthony Davis are not leading them to another championship any time soon, not through this Western Conference. They came back with the same roster they ended last year with, but only won 4 more games despite both LeBron and AD staying mostly healthy. They ended up in the play in AGAIN, ran into the Nuggets AGAIN, and pretty much got the same result AGAIN. Even if they didn't run into them again, they will run into the likes of the Mavs, Wolves, OKC, Kings, or the Pelicans at some point. They can not keep going like this. Let LeBron leave if he wants. If he stays, trade him and AD for assets, fire Ham, and start the rebuild.
What dlo is a 25million player minimum after the season he had.
@12:12 "...or even my dog." Da fuq?
He said he’s not willing to bet his dog. Did you even listen?
@@BasketballBeastWiam Yup, and it's a weird thing to say.
6-0 ➡️🏀🐐 MJ23
4-6 ➡️🤣🤣 Le4-6
How is that weird? Language barrier thing?
@@internet2055 MJ all day! He would destroy today's league.
Can’t say Vogel was scapegoated after the suns run. Everyone knows Hams rotations sucked, time out management sucked, schemes sucked. Pockets sucked.
In-season champs! Wonder if they'll go back to back. That's gonna be the goal above all else, I'm sure
Replace Darvin Ham
Ham didn’t full court press in 2 GAMES. He let the other team cross mid court with ease & get a game winning shot up with 26 seconds left in a game… TWICE!!! THAT’S A BAD COACH! HAM IS A BAD COACH BOBBY
AD to the Knicks
I wanna see you biased "Analysts" treat KD, booker, KAWHI, Steph, Giannis with the same hate and unrealistic standards. You don't cause you all Lebron Haters smh. Dislike video and uninterested...
Need an elite guard to pair with AD. Decent role players, but depth is a concern. LeBron should retire and become HC.
Trolls were waiting for this.
Lake will go fishing😅
Lakers don't have a legit backcourt. Every single playoff team other than maybe the Magic, have a better guard than the Lakers. Dlo is literally a coin flip on whether he shows up as an WNBA player or an NBA player on a nightly basis.
Rob Pelinka has to go! He’s the problem!
Its funny how these ex-execs talk down to folks about firing coaches when its exactly what they did. Yeah ham didnt miss a 3bor box out but did he make in game adjustments? Did he mess with the lineup too often? Did he not call a timeout during a run? All of these things cost games that put you in the 7th seed. Maybe Dlo doesn't go into a long slump right before the trade deadline completely tanking his value if hea not pulled out the lineup. I guess its ok to be shortsighted for clicks
You can't make adjustments to make a player hit a shot or box out lol
@@Maxrepfitgm thanks for the circular argument 🤦🏾♂️.. thats not being debated
AUSTIN REAVES AS A 3RD OPTION? LOL
BOBBY CURSED! YES!
This iteration of the lakers is over. Blow the whole thing up, coach included. Sloppy passes, missed free throws, anemic defense and old bodies can’t compete anymore
So just say blow it up Bobby, lebron would be a fool to resign
KD to LA!
It’s time for LA to rebuild. The LeBron/AD era is over. Bring in some youth and build around that.
Ad still plays like top 10 player whats the point in getting rid of him just build around him .
The idea WAS to move the reigns of LA from LeBron to AD, right? He too fragile and inconsistent. This not NO Pelicans AD. He gotta go. Your goat & top 10 player produced 1 title and has been gut punched by the same team 2 years in a row. Get em outta there.
Theyre likely not going to have their pick next year though (Assuming NOP will skip this year). Plus their pick is only top 4 protected in 2027.
@@lakeithrashadimagine if they won no rings, like MOST of these other teams. Whew yall would be having a fit like LA was 2011-2019 and not even making the playoffs often times.
It’s a good thing you’re not a GM good lord
Vando isn't going anywhere