Darvin Ham, Los Angeles Lakers
Nothing seems to be working for the Los Angeles Lakers right now, so it’s no surprise they fell to their 10th loss of the season at the hands of the Sacramento Kings on November 11.
Speaking to the media following the game, head coach Darvin Ham put his team on notice, pinpointing errors his players made that potentially swung the game in Sacramento’s favor.
Darvin Ham addresses the media after the #Lakers 120-114 loss to the Kings.
“Self-inflicted mistakes. Whether we’re fouling, we lose an assignment, or we turn the ball over. Again, we’ve gotta be better, we gotta coach them harder, coach them better. Just make sure we’re communicating clearly, so we can put them in a position to be successful…We got 70 games left, but at some point, we’ve gotta stop saying that, right? We gotta start putting the proof in the pudding,” Ham told reporters.
Having won just two games in their first 12 contests, the Lakers are rooted to the bottom of the Western Conference standings, and even at this early juncture of the season, it looks like the purple and gold will be facing a dogfight to return to the post-season at the first time of asking.
Lonnie Walker IV Heaps Praise Onto Anthony Davis
During a post-game press conference, Lonnie Walker IV reserved a moment to praise Lakers star forward, Anthony Davis, following his 24 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three blocks performance.
LONNIE WALKER on AD: “When there’s 2-3 minutes left, we got to give it to the big dog and let him work. This is his team and we going to ride him until the wheels fall off.”
“When there’s 2-3 minutes left, we got to give it to the big dog and let him work. This is his team and we going to ride him until the wheels fall off,” Walker said.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, it’s not their star players who are struggling to make an impact this season, but rather, the role players are still finding out where they fit within the scheme and rotation. With a lack of perimeter shooting, and a front court devoid of depth, there is a significant amount of pressure on LeBron James, Davis, and Russell Westbrook on a nightly basis, and for one reason or another, something isn’t clicking.
Anthony Davis Unhappy Playing Center
Over the first 12 games of the season, Davis has manned the center position for the Lakers, tasked with guarding opposing bigs and protecting the rim with his size and jumping ability. However, during a November 9 press conference, Davis spoke about his ability to better impact a game when playing as a power forward alongside a rim-protecting center.
AD is taking a direct shot at Rob Pelinka & Jeanie buss to get him some reliable big men. He’s never liked playing the 5, and plays better at the 4.
“I was able to roam a lot, I was playing the four then, JaVale (McGee) was playing the five, and Dwight (Howard) was playing the five. You know, guarding the perimeter and I got those guys behind me, or weakside helps, we were getting blocks from the weak side. Now, when I’m the five, I’m the one in the actions, pick-and-rolls, the one guarding the post – things like that…In 19-20, I was a roamer, when I can be on whoever the forward is and roam around and help protect everyone, it’s tough for me to do that when I’m guarding the five,” Davis said.
Unless the Lakers find a rim-running center via trade or free agency, it would appear that Davis will remain as the team’s starting center, and while that may not be his preferred position, he’s doing a solid job of manning the middle when healthy.