Lakers’ Darvin Ham: Can’t just play hard when we feel like it

It was fairly obvious the Lakers really wanted to win the In-Season Tournament. Like really, really wanted to win it.

And win it they did, finishing 7-0 in IST games. The rest of the time? Well, the Lakers have been pretty average.

Right now, their record outside of the since-ended tourney is 9-14. So not anywhere near .500. That includes the unlikely road win over the Thunder on Saturday.

All of it led coach Darvin Ham to throw out the idea that the Lakers may only play hard when there’s something to play for. That’s great for tournaments and playoffs. But not so great for regular-season games and standings.

“We have to get to the point where we can initiate, sustain and finish based on what we want Laker basketball to look like,” Ham said, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “Not just if we’re playing for something or it’s something at stake or whatever. It can’t just be about that.”

Back when LeBron James was with the Cavaliers, he used to have a repeated saying: “Just get me to the playoffs.”

James always delivered on that promise, taking the Cavs to four straight Finals and the lone championship in franchise history. In Los Angeles, though, it’s been a different story. The Lakers are very good and always a threat, almost entirely because of James, who turns 39 years old in a week.

Still, Ham makes a valid point. The Lakers can’t just turn it on whenever they feel like it, because that can come back to bite you. They turned it on all last playoffs, fighting their way from the play-in tourney to the Western Conference finals. 

Then they tried to turn it on against the Nuggets and failed miserably.

Ham doesn’t want a repeat of that mindset and is sending that message now. He may have to say it a few more times before the season ends.