After defeating the Trail Blazers, the Los Angeles Lakers also sit at a record of 45 wins and 35 losses, tying with them for the 9th spot in the Western Conference. However, following their recent loss to the Warriors, they have slipped to the 10th spot with a 0.5-game gap.
Despite securing a playoff play-in berth, this record is undoubtedly disappointing for the Lakers, who aspire to contend for the championship. They seem to be facing a series of setbacks.
Recent reports suggest that Lakers players were eager to replace current head coach Hamm with assistant coach Phil Handy. However, team owner Jeanie Buss rejected the players’ request and decided to continue supporting Hamm.
According to an insider speaking to Hoops Wire, Lakers players had hoped Handy would take over from Hamm at the start of the season. However, it’s noted that Jeanie Buss is a fan of Hamm and never considered firing him.
Many in the media speculated that LeBron James might have played a role in attempting to force the Lakers to dismiss Hamm, given his capability and influence to influence such changes. Unfortunately for them, Buss didn’t yield to their wishes.
Considering LeBron James has recently been reported to disregard Hamm’s tactical instructions and speeches during timeouts, many suspect he played a significant part in the push to oust Hamm.
Additionally, LeBron James has a good relationship with assistant coach Phil Handy, who is known as the team’s training guru. This report originated from Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire and has been acknowledged by renowned NBA writer Sam Amico. However, this information didn’t come as a surprise to many in the NBA community.
However, making such changes, especially announcing a coaching change, so close to the playoff play-in would undoubtedly hinder the team’s chances. Despite their decent performance since February, where they achieved a record of 21 wins and 10 losses, the Lakers are still ranked 10th in the West.
If they fail to secure the 7th or 8th spot, they would need to win two consecutive games in the playoff play-in to have a shot at making the playoffs. However, there’s a possibility they might face the Denver Nuggets again in the playoffs.
