Lakers

Darvin Ham: Staying on this train will ‘not be good’ for fading Lakers

January 4, 2024

The Los Angeles Lakers keep losing and LeBron James is avoiding reporters.

Other than that, everything is great in LA.

The latest defeat came at home Wednesday against the Heat, who didn’t even have star forward Jimmy Butler. But the Lakers were run out of the building, 110-96.

James finished with just 12 points and six rebounds in one of the worst individual showings of his entire career. Not a big deal. Everyone is entitled to a so-so night. Afterward, he left without speaking to the media, and that’s even more rare for James than an off night.

But frustration runs deep for the Lakers these days. They won the In-Season Tournament title, hung a banner, and have been among the worst teams in the NBA since.

Since the tournament, the Lakers have just two more wins than the Pistons. That’s how bad it’s become. Overall, LA has won just two of 10.

“It’s a little bit of everything right now,” coach Darvin Ham said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “We’re not executing. That team played harder than us tonight, executed better than us tonight, more physical than us tonight. We got outworked tonight, so it’s a bit of everything right now.

“If we keep on this train, it’s not going to be good for us.”

The Lakers (17-18) made some offseason moves, and some of them looked really good at the time — bringing in guard Gabe Vincent from the Heat, center Christian Wood from the Mavericks, and re-signing guards Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell.

None of it has meant a whole lot. Last year after 35 games, the Lakers were 14-21. And last year, at the start, it was considered a mess. This year it’s not, at least not as much, and the Lakers have won just three more games.

Do they need to make yet another trade to try to save the sinking ship? Without a doubt. Can they possibly do it? Well, that’s tougher to say with any degree of certainty.

“I think everything is on the table that makes sense,” Ham said. “No stone shall go unturned. We’re here to explore whatever we can to right the ship.”