The Los Angeles Lakers are struggling to get back on track, having lost 6 of 9 games played since winning the NBA Cup. Coach Darvin Ham’s rotation choices in particular have been questioned, choosing to keep Austin Reaves on the bench despite the demotion of D’Angelo Russell to the reserves. According to an insider, behind the choice there is a relationship that never really took off between the guard and his coach
Who expected one great season from Austin Reaves he was partially disappointed, at least until now. After starting the regular season slowly, still evidently tired from the summer efforts with Team USA, Reaves had been demoted to the bench after eight games with unclear justifications from coach Darvin Ham, who had bothered him with the comparison (always rather overused) with Manu Ginobili and his role for the San Antonio Spurs by talking about “realignment” and not “relegation”. Initially the decision was made with some skepticism from Reaves himself (“I wish it hadn’t happened, but my parents taught me from an early age that the coach is the coach and must be respected. Winning is the most important thing”), but the results had proved the coach right, given that with the new structure the Lakers managed to win the NBA Cup with a decisive role by Reaves, who scored 28 points in the final against the Indiana Pacers despite the flu. From that success onwards, however, they have arrived 6 defeats in the last 9 games, including four consecutive and a heavy one at home against the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day. Reaves continued to play well coming off the bench (17.6 points per game on 46% from three-point range in his last 9), but he never played more than 33 minutes and, above all, another decision by Ham raised eyebrows even within the locker room.
Russell removed from the quintet, but Reaves is not replacing him
In fact, the Lakers coach has had it for three games now decided to also remove D’Angelo Russell from the quintet, without however inserting Reaves in his place but deciding to field Jarred Vanderbilt, entrusting all creation duties to LeBron James. A quintet that however has obvious perimeter shooting problems: In the 40 possessions in which James, Reddish, Prince, Vanderbilt and Davis played together the differential was -17 points per 100 possessions, with a terrible offensive performance (105 offensive rating, worse than the Detroit Pistons who are last in the NBA) and a defensive one not at the level imagined (122 points conceded on 100 possessions, equal to the third last defense on a seasonal basis). At that point many began to wonder why, once Russell was removed from the quintet (deemed incompatible with Reaves in the backcout: when the two play together the differential is -5.1), the starting place didn’t go to number 15who in the 35 possessions in which he was deployed together with James, Davis, Reddish and Prince has a differential of +17.1 (145.7 offensively, 128.6 defensively on a low number of possessions).
According to Lakers insider Anthony Irwin there is something that doesn’t add up between the two: “The only solution to the case is that between Reaves and Ham there is… something. It was made very clear to me that, for whatever reason, Ham doesn’t view Reaves the way we would think he should. The situation could degenerate to the point of requiring the intervention of the agent or management, starting to ask questions to understand what’s behind those decisions“. Also given the insistence in Don’t play Reaves for more than 30 minutes per game – this happened only 6 times coming off the bench, while in the last playoffs he only played less than 30 minutes in a game already largely decided twice -, some are even starting to wonder about Hamalthough the team record (17-15) is still positive to participate in the post-season.
in-depth analysis
The Lakers’ special game against Charlotte
LeBron compared to other stars at 39 years old
LeBron James is certainly not the first player in NBA history to still be on the court at 39, just as he is not the first to be able to play at a high level at the age of forty. There are several greats of the past who at that age were still protagonists in their teams, but in the season in which they turned 39 no one had the numbers of the Lakers star 39 RECORD FOR LEBRON JAMES’ 39th birthday
LEBRON JAMES, LOS ANGELES LAKERS | 2023-24
34 minutes 25.1 points 7.6 rebounds 7.4 assists
MICHAEL JORDAN, WASHINGTON WIZARDS | 2001-02
34.9 minutes 22.9 points 5.7 rebounds 5.2 assists
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, LOS ANGELES LAKERS | 1985-86
33.3 minutes 23.4 points 6.1 rebounds 3.5 assists
TAG:
2023-12-30 11:23:38
#NBA #Los #Angeles #Lakers #problems #Austin #Reaves #Darvin #Ham
