Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers: Former NBA Champion Defends Darvin Ham After Disastrous Game 3 Performance

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics
By Christian Alamodin | Last updated 4/26/24

Los Angeles Lakers fans don’t want to accept it, but they’re on the brink of elimination after taking an early vacation after losing their third game to the Denver Nuggets. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of the Purple and Gold have been outclassed by Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in almost every aspect of the game.

While there are multiple reasons behind the Lakers’ postseason failures, plenty of fans are still going after Ham for his failure to follow up to his strong first season with the storied franchise.

However, one former member of the Lakers’ 2020 championship squad came to Ham’s defense, saying that fans shouldn’t throw the beleaguered coach to the fire because of the team’s performance against the defending champions.

JR Smith defends Darvin Ham as the Los Angeles Lakers’ season is on the line

One Laker fan expressed his disappointment with the Purple and Gold’s postseason performances. He especially loathed the rumors that Darvin Ham was staying on board with the team for the 2024-25 campaign.

JR Smith, who was a part of the Lakers squad that won in the NBA bubble, reacted to the fan, pointing out the fact that the team didn’t have a roster as strong as the one they had last season.

But do you see the team… https://t.co/3peT2LdYiG

— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) April 26, 2024

Looking at the Los Angeles Lakers’ postseason stats, it’s easy to see why Smith was quick to defend his former team. Only LeBron James and Anthony Davis were scoring more than 20 points a game for the Purple and Gold. D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves are the only other Lakers that have scored in double digits.

The defensive numbers also show where most of the defensive effort was coming from. LeBron and AD were the only ones with more than one block a game. Meanwhile, James, Reaves, and Russell have at least a steal a game.

The rest of the Laker bench have failed to make any meaningful contributions to the squad. Moreover, the adjustments Ham made throughout the three games have been pedestrian at best.

If the Los Angeles Lakers do decide to stick to Darvin Ham for next season, the roster must be completely overhauled to help their aging duo of stars. Otherwise, fans might have to endure more years of failing to the Nuggets and other legitimate contenders out West.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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