Shaquille O'Neal Gets Real On The 'Growing Disconnect' Between Darvin Ham And Lakers Players

In a segment on 'The Big Podcast,' 4x NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal gave his brutally honest review of the Lakers this season and explained why Darvin Ham is losing the war for the locker room. According to Shaq, Darvin lacks the kind of resume required to earn respect from the veterans and his voice just doesn't carry as much weight as someone more accomplished in their career.

“What I know for a fact, in the locker room, resume is important," said O'Neal. "You mean to tell me LeBron’s gonna listen to Darvin Ham in the thick of things? I know the answer to that. You think A.D. is gonna listen to Darvin Ham? That's no disrespect to Darvin Ham, but no championship experience... no playoff experience. So if I'm a guy that been there to the title run a lot, why would I listen to a guy that hasn't been there?”

Ham did a fine job leading the Lakers to the Conference Finals last season but they were swept against the Nuggets and didn't come close to winning the title. This season, Ham led the Lakers to another run during the in-season tournament but the losses are starting to pile up again after a rough stretch of play. Under Ham's guidance, the Lakers have been plagued by nothing but inconsistency and it could end up costing him his job.

---

Lakers Have A Problem

Thursday's blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns put the Lakers back under .500 on the season with 20 total losses. In the standings, the Lakers are just 10th in the West behind the Rockets, Suns, Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans. The problems are abundant for the Lakers this season and it starts with the coach. While the roster is limited in terms of offensive flexibility, many fans have questioned his rotations and his commitment to playing non-shooters on the floor alongside LeBron and Davis.

Regardless of who is coaching, however, there are fundamental issues with the roster as a whole. Besides Austin Reaves and the two stars, there is no reliable bucket-getter on the Lakers. Even worse, there's not a shooter who can space the floor and open up the lane. Until the Lakers bring those types of players in, Davin can only do so much to maximize the team and they will always be behind the top-level contenders.

---

LeBron's Final Run

Unlike many teams toeing the line of mediocrity, the Lakers can't afford to be patient with the process. They need to win now at all costs while LeBron James is still healthy and playing like one of the best in the world. Last night's 10-point blemish aside, it's been a masterful season for James with averages of 24.7 points, 7.6 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game on 52.1% shooting.

But on a Lakers team that is one game below .500, James is actively wasting what's left of his good years in the NBA and the desperation for change grows with every loss. If things don't turn around soon, Davin Ham could be the odd man out and he's the most expendable by far thanks to his mostly blank head coaching resume.

We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.

Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.