The long run for Darvin Ham as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers does not look good within the wake of the crew’s first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday evening.

“The Lakers’ unflattering end leaves Ham’s future as head coach in severe peril, a number of league and crew sources inform The Athletic, with some stakeholders indicating it is extremely unlikely he’ll return. The plan is to reassess every thing that went fallacious within the coming days earlier than making a remaining resolution. In 2022, Ham signed a four-year deal within the vary of $5 million per season, so the crew can be assuming the rest of his deal if he’s fired.”

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin added Ham’s job is “very a lot in jeopardy” and a call shall be made by the group within the coming days.

A few of the rationale for doubtlessly transferring on from Ham was his lineup shuffling because the Lakers went by way of a 3-10 stretch after successful the in-season match, based on Charania, Buha and Amick:

“Through the 13-game skid, the Lakers used six beginning lineups, together with two variations of an all-wing lineup—James, Davis, Taurean Prince, Vanderbilt and both Cam Reddish or Hachimura—for 5 video games (the crew went 2-3). The choice to bench each Reaves and Russell, the crew’s consensus third- and fourth-best gamers, didn’t sit effectively with many inside the group and locker room, based on crew and league sources.”

Ham’s rotation selections have been stated to be “generally so obvious that even opposing gamers can be made conscious of it whereas sharing the courtroom with the Lakers” as a result of he was being “brazenly criticized” for permitting subpar shooters to take wide-open threes that they have been “sluggish to regulate as soon as a poor shooter was in a rhythm.”

The Lakers are constructed round two stars and several other position gamers who’ve traditionally been inconsistent all through their profession. Hachimura shot 44.9 p.c from three-point vary over his remaining 43 video games over the common season however was simply 5-of-16 behind the arc within the sequence in opposition to the Nuggets.

D’Angelo Russell had the perfect taking pictures season of his profession with a 41.5 p.c success charge from three however was solely 14-of-44 on these makes an attempt in 5 video games vs. Denver.

Los Angeles’ resolution to basically run again the identical crew it had on the finish of final season produced the identical consequence. The Lakers have not been on the stage of the highest groups within the Western Convention since successful the NBA Finals throughout the 2019-20 season.

There’s all the time going to be extra stress on the Lakers head coach, particularly with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, however Ham did not appear to do a lot to endear himself to this crew along with his lineup tinkering.

The consequence may very well be Ham getting fired two years after the Lakers employed him. He has a 90-74 file with two postseason appearances in Los Angeles.