What Has Led to the Los Angeles Lakers’ Downfall Since their In-Season Tournament Win?
Photo by Juan Ocampo
The Los Angeles Lakers have lost 11 out of their last 16 games since winning the In-Season Tournament on December 9th against the Pacers.
Currently, the team sits in 9th place in the Western Conference, with a record of 19-19. But nothing major has changed since the tournament, and theoretically, the Lakers should be cruising.
Without a doubt, injuries play a significant role in a team's success. But throughout the season, the Lakers have only had three key players miss a noteworthy amount of time including Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Cam Reddish (not including Gabe Vincent). But all three of these players have been back and forth on the injury reserve list, and have gotten their minutes when able. However, the team’s statistics, especially three-pointers, help explain the losing record.
This season, the Lakers rank second-to-last in three-pointers made per game (10.8), last in three-pointer attempts per game (30.5), and 24th in three-pointer percentage (35.5%).
Photo by Cato Cataldo
And even with players like Lebron James and Anthony Davis, the team falls in 19th in the league in Rebounds Per Game (RPG), with 43.3 per game. This is even more surprising when realizing that Davis is 2nd in the league this year with RPG, grabbing about 12.2 boards every time he steps onto the floor.
Not only have the lack of rebounds and three-pointers made contributed to the team’s losing streak, but the Lakers also rank 19th with Points Per Game (PPG). On average, the Lakers only put up about 114.3 points. But when looking at the group stages, semifinal, and final games of the In-Season Tournament where they were putting up more than 130 points in multiple games, the question of “what happened” remains.
Many believe the real issue for the Lakers stems from the coaching.
Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham stepped into the position just last season. Recently, many reports have explained that there is an ongoing “disconnect” between the players and Ham. In the original report published by The Athletic, it is explained that players, including Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and D’Angelo Russel, who were key to the Lakers’ success last season and in the tournament, are feeling frustrated with their current roles and lack of playing time. Nothing is given in the NBA, but going from a starter to being benched is surely a tough pill to swallow.
Additionally, Ham cannot seem to find a starting line-up he likes so far. Ham has continuously rotated through line-ups, limiting the team’s ability to form any real chemistry or momentum.
There is a “deepening disconnect” between the Lakers players and head coach Darvin Ham.
— NBA Stream 🏀 (@NBAStreamIG) January 5, 2024
The disconnect stems from “extreme rotation and starting lineup adjustments.” pic.twitter.com/OCVNrJS7xp
As the Lakers carry on with their packed schedule, all eyes are on Darvin Ham and his team, and their ability to fight their way back to the top.
