Benching D’Angelo Russell late in the 4th quarter vs. Denver was coaching malpractice that not only cost the Lakers the game but likely any chance to win a title this season by alienating and undermining their 3rd best player.
With the Lakers trailing the Nuggets 99–98 with 7:48 left in the 4th quarter, Darvin Ham benched D’Angelo Russell, who had been playing well and was on the way to redeeming his poor play against Denver in last year’s playoffs.
At that point, D’Angelo Russell had posted 17 points on 6 of 13 shooting, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists with zero turnovers in less than 30 minutes while recording a team-best +2 plus/minus and team-best 119 defensive rating.
The move to rely on Cam Reddish’s defense rather than D’Angelo Russell’s offense was a disaster. By the time Ham replaced Reddish with Russell with 1:34 left in the game, the Lakers’ deficit had ballooned from 1 to 7 points.
Russell had been one of the major reasons the Lakers were within 1 point of the Nuggets with 7:48 left in the 4th quarter. Replacing him with the offensively-challenged Cam Reddish was a wrong move at the wrong time.
Ham wasted two-thirds of the season trying to build a championship caliber defensive team before reinstalling the offense-first starting lineup that carried the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals last season.
The last thing the Lakers need right now is for Ham to undermine what has been working for the Lakers by alienating the one player in DLO who’s been mainly responsible for the team turning into an offensive juggernaut.
Losing the game was unfortunate but what’s more worrisome is how Russell is going to react to again being benched against the Nuggets down the stretch of the game just like during last season’s conference finals.
HOW DOES D’ANGELO RUSSELL RESPOND?
Instead of building up Russell’s confidence by counting on him to close out the game, Ham did the opposite by replacing him again with Reddish, the same player he earlier in the year gifted with an unearned starting spot.
Make no mistake, reinstating D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves as the starting backcourt was the move that woke this team up to make a push to make the playoffs this season despite standing pat at the trade deadline.
That Darvin Ham would, in the midst of the Lakers’ biggest game of the season, suddenly pull the plug again on D’Angelo Russell in favor of Cam Reddish, is the final straw. Darvin Ham should be fired as Lakers’ coach.
Darvin Ham’s stubborn refusal to play the lineups responsible for the Lakers making it to the conference finals last season has been perplexing. Ham’s seeming embrace of new over old players has been a major issue.
Ham’s over reliance on new signees like Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish over proven returnees from last season like D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves has been a constant defense-over-offense theme all season long.
I have no problem with coaches who emphasize defense over offense as I think a strong defense is how you build a championship team. It’s the anchor you can count on to be more consistent than just shot making.
Unfortunately, great offense in today’s NBA often beats great defense and championship teams usually have great balance between offense and defense. Defense or offense alone is never enough to win a championship.
How D’Angelo Russell reacts to being benched for Cam Reddish could determine how this season goes for the Lakers. Ham’s decision was a slap in the face of DLO. No way he wants to play for Darvin going forward.
D’ANGELO RUSSELL GONE IN FREE AGENCY
With the Lakers committed to using the 3 first round picks and 3 pick swaps available this offseason to trade for a third superstar to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are going to need DLO’s help.
The last thing the Lakers want next summer is D’Angelo Russell to decline his player option, spurn the Lakers, and sign as a free agent with another team this summer, leaving Los Angeles with nothing to show in return.
Considering the Lakers will need $40.0 million in matching salaries to trade for a third superstar this summer, they desperately need to include an $18.7 million sign-and-trade deal for DLO as part of their blockbuster trade offer.
Darvin Ham’s benching of D’Angelo Russell in the 4th quarter vs. the Nuggets will ultimately end up with DLO refusing to re-sign or cooperate with the Lakers because of Ham or of the Lakers replacing Ham as coach.
Throw in the rumors of LeBron’s dissatisfaction with Darvin as well as the number of times the front office has had to intervene to force the stubborn Ham to adjust his lineups to boost the offense efficiency and win games.
Coaching is as much art as it is science but Ham appears to rely more on his gut than what the analytics are telling him. Prince, for example, has long been the least productive Lakers role player given the most minutes.
Coaches need to establish guidelines and systems to simplify making up starting lineups and rotations and ensure the team always has enough scoring and defense to compete rather than always going by their gut.
Benching Russell for Reddish for more than 6 critical stretch minutes was just further evidence that Darvin Ham’s future as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers is likely to come to an unfortunate ugly end this summer.
LakerTom says
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1764767099862569226
LakerTom says
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1764767378486014237
LakerTom says
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1764768631987294212
DJ2KB24 says
LBJ could bail as well. If I were him, no not that HIM, I would get feelers. Could play cheap for some team, like Denver? Or?
LakerTom says
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1764768914054242665
DJ2KB24 says
I jumped on that right after the game. Nother have to win game tonite and it ain’t gonna be easy!
LakerTom says
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1764771632260972700
Michael H says
I share your frustration Tom, Murray had one basket with DLO in and 3 baskets with Cam. They 9 of 10 down the stretch. What it did accomplish was slowing the offense. You can’t play off of DLO. But the Nuggets sent Can’s man to help, making it tougher on LeBron and AD. Darwin’s other major mistake was leaving Rui on the Joker those last 7 minutes. Rui banged and did his best but he’s just not tall enough. I can see not wanting AD to bang all game with the Joker but he should have been on him down the stretch. For me our ace in the hole is Vando. They haven’t played us yet with him in the line up. He’s a difference maker on D and on the boards. Unfortunately we don’t play them again unless we meet in the playoffs.
humanomaly says
If DLo bails do the math on replacement value lost …also the loss of appeal for free agents to come play for cheaper than market value. LeBron is an issue by himself…free agents know if they come to a LeBron team they have to integrate into his style.