Lakers Rumors: ‘There Is a Plan to Remain Patient with’ Darvin Ham to Grow as HC

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Back-to-back wins have quieted down the outside chatter about Darvin Ham’s status, but the Los Angeles Lakers apparently weren’t close to moving on from their head coach anyway.

Per The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Lakers have “a plan to remain patient” and allow Ham to continue to grow into the role.

During the team’s four-game losing streak last week, there were growing signs that Ham’s messaging to Lakers players wasn’t getting through.

“Those sources have described that the disjointedness between the coach and team has stemmed from the extreme rotation and starting lineup adjustments recently from Ham, leading to a fluctuating rhythm for several players across the roster,” Charania and Buha wrote.

Despite some potential warning signs, Amick reported on Jan. 5 that Ham wasn’t on the verge of being fired even though there was “real” mounting pressure on him.

The Lakers have been able to silence some of the concerns with wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors. Their 132 points in Tuesday’s win over the Raptors was their most in a game since Dec. 28 against the Charlotte Hornets (133).

Los Angeles scored 81 points in the second half against Toronto, including 44 in the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis and LeBron James combined for 39 points, eight rebounds and seven assists after halftime.

These past two wins have moved the Lakers back to .500 and into 10th place in the Western Conference.

Ham is in his second season as Lakers head coach. He helped the team overcome a slow start last season to finish 43-39, make the playoffs and advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The Lakers didn’t bottom out this season like they did when they were 2-10 to start the 2022-23 campaign, but they will be fighting their way up the standings if they want to avoid the play-in tournament again.