Los Angeles Lakers coach Darwin Ham acknowledged the front office will look for ways to improve the roster ahead of next month’s trade deadline, but expressed optimism that the players in the locker room can turn things around now.“People talk about deals and this and that. Nobody closes anything. There is an opportunity to get better.
Take advantage of it.” Ham spoke to reporters after Monday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. “But all we have to do in the dressing room is focus and pay attention to the details. We have enough time in the locker room for something to happen.”The Lakers have lost two games into Monday and six of their last eight. Ham made another adjustment against the Thunder, starting Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Taurean Prince alongside Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Trade rumors are nothing new for the Lakers, who have built much of this year’s secondary around last year’s cast. Commercial Terminology. Russell, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt were key additions when the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals, but they haven’t had the same chemistry this season.
James, Davis and Prince made the starting lineup, with Ham rotating through Russell, Reeves, Vanderbilt, Hachimura and Max Christie. Inconsistent rotations led to a lack of chemistry and frustration among the players.
According to Jake Fisher of Yahoo Sports, player agents have been calling the Lakers’ front office all season complaining that their clients are “not getting the right opportunities.”While the Lakers’ recent slump has led to speculation about Hamm’s job status, the coach has returned to the lineup he used on Opening Night with impressive results.
A solid and consistent effort from the Lakers defense allowed the Lightning to shoot 41.7 percent from the floor, which hasn’t been a factor this season.”I think we can score,” Davis said. “I think it’s just a defensive aspect for us. Can we defend like we did tonight? … I think our defense is going to pick us up and get us more wins.” “Los Angeles will have a six-game stretch to get organized.
The Lakers next game at Crypto.com Arena will be in January 2018. No. 27 will travel to Golden State to begin a six-game road trip.How the Lakers navigate this period will be important in determining how aggressive they are at the deadline. James turned 39 in December. Everyone knows the clock is ticking even as he continues to defy his father’s time. This is not a franchise that hopes things will get better over time.
The Lakers are linking Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine as potential trade targets. Fisher reported that the Lakers still won’t offer Reeves in any trade and that Russell isn’t considered a valuable target around the league. If Hamm’s latest attempt to fix the team’s woes fails, anyone not named Davis or James could go elsewhere.
