Scott Clark
Jan 20, 2024 - 06:05

Darvin Ham: Lakers must decide their identity without excuses

Los Angeles Lakers start strong but fall apart in second half against Brooklyn Nets. Coach emphasizes need for improvement and focus.

The Los Angeles Lakers had a strong start against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, maintaining their lead through the first half. However, the second half was a completely different story for head coach Darvin Ham's team, as things went off the rails and the Lakers fell in embarrassing fashion at home to the Nets.

Early on, the Lakers played with a lot of energy and shared the ball extremely well. But it was the opposite after halftime. Brooklyn got on a roll offensively, and the Lakers had no answers as things got increasingly out of hand.

Ham felt his team played how they wanted to early on, but they crumbled once the Nets made their run. He acknowledged the great activity and pace in the first half, with 20 assists at halftime on 26 field goals. However, the team started to make a run, and the Lakers just kind of fell apart. They slowed it down, started holding the ball, and became indecisive, resulting in a disappointing second half.

Defensive breakdowns, lack of movement, sloppy offensive execution, and missed open shots were all present for the Lakers in the second half, and they were never able to stop the bleeding.

Despite the challenges the team has faced, including injuries and sore spots, Ham doesn't want the Lakers to make excuses. He emphasized the need to be as efficient as possible, watch film, and focus on the type of team they want to be.

The Lakers have shown they can hang with some of the best teams in the league, so a disappointing performance against a non-playoff team like the Nets hurts that much more. Time is not on the Lakers' side, and Ham and the rest of the team know they have to play basketball the way it is meant to be played.

While there is talk of potential trades to help get the season back on track, Ham believes that the Lakers, as currently constructed, have enough to right the ship. He emphasized the need for the team to buckle down, focus, and take care of the details, stating that they have more than enough in the locker room to make things happen.