Lakers' Darvin Ham hints at the start of “S–tting the Bed” after their NBA playoffs exit

We can probably assume that the Los Angeles Lakers will have a new coach next season at this point.

The athlete Shams Charania, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick He wrote an autopsy of the Lakers following their elimination from the 2024 NBA playoffs, with coach Darvin Hamm being a regular target of criticism.

The feeling may be mutual. Dave McMenamin Hamm was quoted by ESPN as saying that this season “has been very challenging” before using more blunt language.

“Everyone has been in and out of the lineup. I get criticized for not having a consistent rotation when I don't have consistent, healthy bodies,” he said. “The thing that frustrates me is, I love this job, I love the pressure that comes with it, I've always been calm in the midst of chaos… [But] Common sense tends to go out the window when you're talking about my job in particular.

“It's amazing how people skip that basic part of consistency with your lineup, and it's all based on health and performance. If you're coaching a team and one of your starters is like 10 games in a row, just do it.” Bed, what are you going to do?”

It is left to readers to connect the dots as to who Hamm was referring to.

Austin Reeves is a logical candidate since he was benched after the Lakers' eighth game of the regular season. The Taurean Prince was also demoted, albeit deeper into the campaign. Perhaps his anger was directed at D'Angelo Russell, who was a regular in the starting lineup but had a distinct personality. An up and down year.

Most important of all, Hamm's comments reinforce how difficult it is to imagine him remaining in the position much longer.

The dice may have been cast with the way the 50-year-old addressed star forward Anthony Davis' frank assessment midway through the first round.

After the Game 2 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Davis told reporters that the Lakers “have periods where we don't know what we're doing on both ends of the floor.”

Instead of targeting the coaching staff, this could have been read as a broader condemnation of the team. Hamm explained how he interpreted the post-match interview when he said he would “agree to disagree” before defending his and his staff's level of preparation.

McMenamin cited a Lakers source who was “confused by Hamm's lack of accountability” during the media hype. The Athletic's report added how “it was seen as an unnecessary exaggeration of Davis' comments, according to team sources.”

Not all team problems come from the coach.

Especially looking back, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka made the mistake of thinking that last year's trip to the Western Conference Finals was an indication of what this roster could achieve. Simply giving the ball back meant the team was standing still Lacks shootingand Davis could not do much on his own to anchor the defence.

But the last two seasons have also shown the gap between Hamm and a championship-level NBA coach. For the second year in a row, the Nuggets' Michael Malone Simply off the chart Its corresponding number.

Hamm pointing out injuries and some lackluster efforts by his players isn't a great look when he appears to have brought very little to the table when his team needed a Plan B, C and D against Denver.

ESPN and The Athletic report that Los Angeles has not made any final decisions on whether or not to retain Hamm. However, we all know where this is likely headed.