Lakers: Why Front Office, Not Darvin Ham, is Responsible for Fixing LA

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report noted how next season hinges more on roster construction, and not solely Darvin Ham's coaching ability.

In today's current NBA, a coach alone cannot change the fortunes of a NBA roster. However, basketball isn't soccer, or excuse me, football where the coaching staff must resign themselves to hoping the tactics they instilled that week are executed properly. NBA coaches must make strategic adjustments, whether it's rotations or X's and O's, on the fly.

The two teams in the Finals, the Celtics and the Warriors, do owe part of their success to Ime Oduka and Steve Kerr. But both front offices also constructed complete rosters to put those coaches in a position to succeed.

Which is why Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus points out that if the Lakers are going to better next season, it starts with the front office, not new head coach Darvin Ham.  

"But any move comes with risk, and the rookie head coach will have to prove himself on the job with one of the most influential players in the league in LeBron James and one of the more headstrong ones in Russell Westbrook. The roster still has the same issues that former coach Frank Vogel couldn't solve—but fixing those will fall more heavily on the front office."

As Lakers fans remember all too well, Pelinka and the front office failed to provide Vogel with quality veterans to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Trading for Russell Westbrook handcuffed LA from a salary cap standpoint and forced the team to sign a slew of players to veteran minimum contracts.

Based on the recent NBA chatter, Westbrook isn't going anywhere, for now. Meaning, the Lakers front office will have to pass the test they miserably failed last summer.

Wayne Ellington, DeAndre Jordan, Rajon Rondo, and Avery Bradley were busts. Jordan and Rondo didn't even make it through the season in LA before being cut loose. Carmelo Anthony ran out of gas in the second half and Dwight Howard was inconsistent. Guard Kendrick Nunn, who they signed to the tax payer mid-level exception, missed the entire season with a knee injury. 

To be fair, Malik Monk was a nice find, but LA will have to shoot better than 1-for-7 this summer if they want to contend in a loaded Western Conference.

Which is why the bulk of the responsibility falls on the front office, not the Lakers rookie head coach.