Darvin Ham joined the Los Angeles Lakers as their head coach back in 2022. Clearly, it has not been a long time. However, it has been a pretty exciting year. The Lakers saw a lot of ups and downs. They did not have an excellent start to the season. The squad lost ten games of their first 12 matches of the season. It is a miracle that the Purple and Gold brigade made it to the playoffs.
But the way they started, it did not look possible. Darvin Ham had to go through a lot of controversies because of the terrible situation the Lakers were in. He still does, actually, due to his style of management during games. A lot of fans don’t get that style and criticize Ham for that. So, is the Lakers’ front office once again making a move in that direction? Keep reading to find out.
Will Lakers Replace Darvin Ham With Nick Nurse?
The Lakers faithful are now asking questions again about replacing the coach. Darvin Ham has got a four-year contract with the Lakers. But NBA is famous for things changing rapidly. Thus, the fans feel it is safe to look at other options. The notable replacement option for Darvin Ham might be Nick Nurse. Before Ham came as the new coach, Nurse was a top candidate for the same role. Nick Nurse is an impressive coach with an outstanding record. He helped Toronto Raptors win the NBA championship in 2019. That created all sorts of records for the franchise’s history.
Nurse will immediately become a prominent candidate in the Houston Rockets’ coaching search, sources tell ESPN. He won the 2019 NBA title as Raptors coach, and was voted the 2020 NBA Coach of the Year.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 21, 2023
Why Nurse is an impressive coach because he is good with the X and O of the game. He tries exotic methods to win games and series, and that has worked pretty well for the Raptors. Nick Nurse won the Coach of the Year in 2020. But the Lakers might find it challenging to approach Nurse as he might be a viable option for the next coach of the Houston Rockets. However, let’s not lose faith in Darvin Ham yet, as the season is not yet over. Anyway, there are a lot of fans who credit the players for the turnaround of the Lakers more than the head coach. But the final judgment can come later with the Lakers making it to the finals or failing to move forward.
Darvin Ham’s Side Miraculously Made The Playoffs
Back at the start of the year, the fans were panicking after the Lakers lost 10 games in the beginning. They thought the front office, Rob Pelinka, and others made a mistake in appointing Darvin Ham. But the way things turned around has regained hope in the Lakers faithful gang. They want the team to win the whole thing after Ham’s side made the postseason. It is fair to say the LA side moved through the play-in to the playoffs in style. The Lakers demolished the Timberwolves in the play-in game.
The February trades have worked miracles for the LA side. Now there is no looking back, and the LA side must keep moving forward. But the loss against the Grizzlies in the second game of the round 1 playoff series has upset the fans again. The Memphis franchise was sans Ja Morant and was lacking a little motivation after the LA side defeated them in the first game. However, the Lakers could not hold onto the lead, and the series is level 1-1.
