The Lakers Suffer Critical 123-113 Loss to Suns, Darvin Ham Makes Many Strange Decisions.

Locked On Lakers podcast is your daily ticket to stay ahead of the game and the first to know the latest news, analysis, and insider info for the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA. Hosts Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, who have covered the Purple and Gold since 2005 for media outlets including the LA Times, ESPN and The Athletic, offer traditional journalism, informal commentary, and offbeat humor to provide expert, local analysis. Locked On Lakers takes you beyond the scoreboard for the inside scoops on the biggest stories from within the Lakers locker room and all over the NBA. The Locked On Lakers podcast is part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.

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The immediate business ahead of the Lakers is deciding, or perhaps just finding the right time to announce, the future of Darvin Ham. 

But while everyone waits on that—and the Lakers did in fact conduct exit interviews internally (and away from probing questions from media types)—one could certainly assume that major stakeholders were asked not just about Darvin, but more importantly what worked and what didn't this year, and what kind of coach they'd like to see next season. 

That would include, at least in theory, LeBron James, whose own future in Los Angeles isn't exactly an open question, but isn't solidified, either. He is expected to opt out of his deal, and while a return to LA is what most expect and is unquestionably the most likely outcome, the contours of that future are very much unknown. Will LeBron demand three years at the max? A full no-trade clause? 

Is there anything, really, he could ask for that the Lakers wouldn't give? After all, both parties are pretty much tied to each other, assuming LeBron wants to play on a competitive team in a city he likes and get paid what he feels he's worth. The Lakers, meanwhile, can't replace James with comparable talent, so it's either sign him to a deal he likes or blow up the roster and start over. 

They're not going to do that. 

Still, the parameters of the relationship might look a little different than anyone expected, because it's worth wondering if anyone thought it would last this long. We've all been having the Father Time conversation for a while now, and LeBron is still chugging along at an elite level. Is he the best player in the game? No, but is he still in that highest echelon? Yeah, probably. It's fair to ask, and LeBron seems to be doing just that, whether his body will be the thing that forces him to quit, as it is with most athletes. Instead, his will to play could be the first thing that goes. 

Plus, the whole Bronny conversation has radically shifted, following the younger James' challenging year at USC. 



HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: What does the future hold for LeBron?

SEGMENT 2: Did anyone expect to be here? 

SEGMENT 3: How the evolving Bronny situation impacts LBJ's decision. 



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What's Next for the Lakers and LeBron James? Is Playing with Bronny Still a Factor?

The Lakers have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, but without question the highest profile choice is about Darvin Ham. Does LA fire him, as is the broad expectation based on multiple reports? 

If so, why? 

For starters, you can look to a few recent quotes, some from after Monday's loss and more in a story published by ESPN following the game. In both, Ham defended himself against accusations of mismanagement in areas like lineups and rotations, focusing on injuries that ruined his ability to be consistent. He defended himself against high profile benchings over the course of the season by asking what you're supposed to do if a player is "sh***ing the bed" for 10 games in a row? Given that the only three guys this really applies to are Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell, three of the team's five best players, you can forgive any of them for thinking the coach was publicly, well, pooping on their performance. 

And while there some truth to what he's arguing, none of these statements were accompanied by any sense of accountability. The poor performance is the responsibility of fate, or players who aren't up to par, or a media that doesn't get it. Never about him and the staff, even if just to deal with the relationship management aspect of the job (which, it should be said, is probably the most important aspect of being an NBA head coach). 

Still, the Lakers are reportedly engaging in a "post-mortem" to figure out what they want to do. On the surface, the results would seem self-evident: Ham has to go. But if he's fired, he needs to be replaced, which means the Lakers need to know who they want, and more importantly, why. What kind of coach are they looking for. Would yet another first-time head coach be a viable option? Is there a scenario where it makes more sense to try and repair a dynamic with a coach that a year ago seemed much more promising? One good year, one bad for a guy who was extremely well-regarded when the Lakers made the hire? 

What would "repair" over "replace" entail? 



HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky



SEGMENT 1: Darvin Ham sounds like a man with many excuses. 

SEGMENT 2: What do the Lakers want in a head coach? 

SEGMENT 3: Is there a scenario where it makes more sense to keep Darvin? 



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Will the Lakers Fire Darvin Ham? Multiple Reports Say the Coach is on the Hot Seat.

When those who defend the Lakers talk about how the distance between them and the best teams in the league isn't necessarily that big, Monday's Game 5 loss to the Nuggets, eliminating the Lakers from the postseason, is what they're talking about. 

Jamal Murray, once again, was the catalyst. He scores Denver's final five points, and they beat LA 108-106. 

This was a fantastic game, with huge punches thrown by both teams, and massive emotional swings. Both teams were banged up. There were significant injuries during the game, to Anthony Davis first and foremost (a shoulder that functionally removed him from LA's offense for the last 18 minutes or so), but also Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and for a moment, at least, LeBron. The Lakers lost this game on the margins in many ways - untimely offensive rebounds given up, open shots that needed to go down - and spots that aren't exactly marginal, like nine missed free throws. 

The Lakers went down swinging, but they went down. Really, the issue wasn't that they lost this game, but that they lost Game 2. Or the opportunity to win Game 1, or Game 3. 

So now the Lakers have a ton of questions to ask. About Darvin Ham, most importantly. But about the roster, as well. What happens if/when LeBron James and D'Angelo Russell opt out? Do the Lakers package guys in a trade for another star? Which one? Can the Lakers make significant improvements to the supporting cast? Do they run it back and try to continue developing the continuity that has served a team like Denver so well? 

Is Rob Pelinka the right guy to be orchestrating all of this? 

It's going to be a VERY interesting offseason... 



HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky



SEGMENT 1: The Lakers lose a heartbreaker. 

SEGMENT 2: Who gets blamed for Game 5? A lot of fingers are pointing to Ham, as usual. 

SEGMENT 3: What to make of the series.  



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The Lakers Lose Heartbreaker, Eliminated By Denver in Game 5

Playoff series often hinge on the fairly random prospect of who is available and who is not when the games need to be played. You can be the second best team in the East, but if Giannis and Dame are injured, you might just lose in the first round to Indiana. The Lakers, while they've enjoyed a good run of health from Anthony Davis and LeBron James (and this is the most important thing, obviously) they've been unable to really play big in ways that would benefit them against the Nuggets because of injuries. 

Now Christian Wood is back, having returned for Game 3. And Jarred Vanderbilt has been upgraded from out to questionable for tonight's Game 5 in Denver. 

Wood didn't play in Game 4. He might not play in Game 5. But if Vanderbilt is available, even acknowledging that he likely won't be fully healthy and certainly won't have his full level of fitness, would Darvin Ham put him in the game? 

Probably, and with good cause. We explain. 

Meanwhile, Nuggets star Jamal Murray is going the other way for Denver, having been downgraded to questionable for the game with a calf injury. This situation provides a legitimately tricky set of options for Denver. Play him, and there's a better chance of eliminating the Lakers tonight and getting Murray (and everyone else) rest. (The Nuggets would start the second round next weekend.) Sit him, and while Denver could still undoubtedly win (and would likely still be favored, with the game in Denver) it would significantly increase LA's chances of forcing a Game 6. That would be dangerous, but it would also give Murray until Thursday to feel better. 

Finally, while the Lakers did get a little bit of weight off their shoulders by winning Game 4 and putting the losing streak against Denver to bed, they still have a looooooooong road ahead of them before they'd be in position to actually win the series. How do you play the mental games required to not get overwhelmed by the long odds at hand? 



HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: What would losing Jamal Murray mean for Denver? What would be the smart play? 

SEGMENT 2: The Lakers might welcome back Vanderbilt. Should Darvin play him? 

SEGMENT 3: The mental gymnastics the Lakers have to execute in order to give themselves the best chance at pulling off the miracle. 



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The Lakers Suffer Critical 123-113 Loss to Suns, Darvin Ham Makes Many Strange Decisions.

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