Firing Darvin Ham Could Be a Mistake as Udonis Haslem Exposes Lakers’ True Flaw

Charles Barkley was furious at people pinning the blame on head coaches like Darvin Ham and Frank Vogel for the first-round exit of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. He boldly claimed that the players are the ones who “suck“, and not the coaches. Despite this viral rant, the LA unit decided to make an expected decision on Ham. Now joining Barkley, former Miami Heat icon Udonis Haslem has indirectly thrown the blame on a 54-year-old executive of the Lakers. 

Earlier today, the Lakers announced that they are parting ways with Darvin Ham after two seasons. The general manager of the Lakers, Rob Pelinka shared, “While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season.” However, 3x champion Udonis Haslem believes this is not the “best course of action” for the Lakers. 

In a post from NBA TV, Haslem shared, “At what point as an organization do you stop blaming the coaches and the players and maybe say, ‘we are not putting the best product to win a championship out there.’”  These words from Haslem are directed towards Rob Pelinka, who holds the front office of the Lakers. 

Haslem continued, “I think it is easy to make the coach scapegoat…I don’t think this is all on the coach, I don’t think this is all on Darvin Ham.” The Heat legend did not mince his words.

Anyhow, Ham is now out of the conversation. The big decision has been made. It’s now time to move forward and look at the best candidates to take over the coaching job at LA. 

Who is the best option in hand for LeBron James for his remaining few seasons in the NBA? 

Even before Ham was fired, several reports hinted at the possible candidates for the Lakers coaching job. The one who is most likely to join the team as coach would be either JJ Redick or Tyronn Lue. Redick is currently running a podcast, Mind the Game, with LeBron James, where the two speak deeply about basketball. Redick was also linked with Charlotte Hornets, to fill their coaching vacancy. Tyronn Lue is currently with the LA Clippers, who are on the brink of elimination to the Dallas Mavericks. 

Redick and James have great chemistry, and a similar game IQ, which can be very helpful for the Lakers. But at the same time, there are still a lot of other options for the Lakers. Former Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, Adrian Griffin, and former Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson are a few options to look out for. Let’s wait and watch who the Lakers settle for.