Darvin Ham has been on the hot seat seemingly for the better part of two months as the Los Angeles Lakers continue their rollercoaster of a 2023-24 season.
The Lakers strung together solid wins recently, but after an embarrassing loss to the Brooklyn Nets, some came for Ham’s job. Ham has been criticized for his in-game management and platitudes when explaining Los Angeles’ struggles, but a loss to a lowly Brooklyn team felt like an indictment on the job he’s done.
However, the Lakers surprisingly weren’t the ones to make waves with their head coach. The Milwaukee Bucks shocked the league when they fired Adrian Griffin after he coached just 43 games.
When the news broke, Ham acknowledged that it was hard to see Griffin get let go from his former team.
“Man, it’s tough to see that happen, especially to one of your colleagues, a guy that I know personally,” Ham said. “He’s a good dude, always been great to me, has worked his ass off to be in that seat. And also knowing the type of standard that’s been set with that franchise in terms of what they’re striving for year in and year out and the type of moves they’ve made to put themselves in position to be considered a legit contender.
“Having said all that, my grandma always told me that when your plate is full, don’t look at others. It’s an unfortunate situation. Continuity matters and communication matters as well. So communication and collaboration creates continuity. I wasn’t there, have no idea what transpired, but it was a move they felt like they needed to make and I wish both parties well.”
Ham and Griffin were both long-time assistants before getting their first head coaching opportunities in the last year-and-a-half, so it must’ve been surprising to hear that his peer was fired so quickly. Despite some uneven play on both ends, Griffin led Milwaukee to a 30-13 record that is good for second in the Eastern Conference.
Given that Griffin got fired with a winning record, it should warn Ham that he needs to start winning games before he finds himself on the way out.
Darvin Ham believes Lakers have enough to compete without making trades
Because of their record, the front office has been one of the most active teams before the NBA trade deadline. The Lakers have been linked to just about every available player, but Ham believes that the roster has enough to compete without making a deal.
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