Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham’s attempt to spark his team has seemingly failed.
His team is 1-1 since he shifted the starting lineup, sending guard D’Angelo Russell to the bench and replacing him in the starting lineup with forward Jarred Vanderbilt. It’s a lineup that left them without much in the way of floor spacing or playmaking.
“There have been some eyebrows raised over the past 72 hours or so; when the Lakers made this starting lineup change,” said The Athletic’s Jovan Buha on the “Hoops Tonight” podcast on December 26.
Buha initially noted the lineup’s struggles in a post on X, formerly Twitter, after the Lakers’ Christmas Day loss to the Boston Celtics.
Lakers’ new starting lineup in 18 minutes:
– 105.0 offensive rating (worse than 30th-ranked Spurs)
– 125.0 defensive rating (worse than 30th-ranked Wizards)
– -20.0 net rating (worse than 30th-ranked Spurs)
– 40.0 eFG%
– 46.8 TS%
Minuscule sample size but it’s been a disaster.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 26, 2023
“Those two moves in a vacuum didn’t necessarily surprise me,” Buha said of Russell’s demotion and Vanderbilt’s elevation. “But those two moves happening together did surprise me. Just looking at the lineup, there is not a second ball handler, there is not a secondary shot creator on the perimeter.
“You just can’t play that way in 2023, especially if you are holding yourself to a championship-level standard.”
A roster with LeBron James playing out his 21st season with an uncertain future is certainly operating at that standard. And James has offered vague responses in the past about what the Lakers needed to change to fix their issues.
Ham’s new-look starting lineup doesn’t appear to be the answer, though.
Darvin Ham Changed Lakers Starting Lineup Out of ‘Desperation’
“It never made sense in theory. In practice, it has been a disaster. And I think the Lakers are going to continue sticking with it for now just because Darvin Ham believes in it,” Buha said. “But I think it’s a mistake, and I think at some point in the near future, within the next few games, they’re most likely going to have to go to a different starting lineup.”
Show host Jason Timpf was also critical of Ham’s decision to change the starting lineup, particularly to its current iteration.
“You have to find a way to make Darvin’s job easier. Because he’s struggling,” Timpf said. “I can’t ever remember a lineup decision that confused me as much as this starting lineup move. And it’s not born out of foolishness from Darvin. It’s born out of desperation.”
Darvin Ham on the pros and cons of the new #Lakers lineup after today’s practice: “I think the pros is the size, the athleticism, the ability to switch across the board. I think the cons are just different actions, not having a traditional point guard can be challenging at… https://t.co/KqD8gy5IKC
— Lauren Jones (@LoJoMedia) December 27, 2023
Ham may be showing signs of feeling that pressure too.
Darvin Ham Calls Out Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt
The most glaring weaknesses in the starting lineup against the Celtics were Vanderbilt and Cam Reddish.
The duo combined for 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting. Efficient, but on very low volume.
“If they’re trying to play off, Cam’s got to step up shooting with confidence or eat up that space on the drive,” Ham said, per Buha on December 26. “Collapse the defense once he touches the paint and try to find an open man. Same thing for Vando. The ball hits him, you just can’t hold it and be confused. You just gotta move on to the next thing.”
Throw it down Vando 💥 pic.twitter.com/uqSlW7LQqE
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 25, 2023
Reddish has scored double-digit points in seven of his 19 starts this season. Vanderbilt scored a season-high six points in the loss to the Celtics. He had not scored more than two points in any of his nine previous outings this season.
Ham may indeed need to turn to yet another starting combination to get the Lakers out of their funk.
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