Lakers News: Rival Exec Glad Darvin Ham Started Current 5 So Late Into Season

The 2023-2024 Los Angeles Lakers season can end as early as next Tuesday. The Lakers are in jeopardy of playing in the 9-10 play-in game, which is a single-elimination game. They would need to win two games to secure themselves the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. While it's not set in stone yet, the 9-10 slots are all but likely after their loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. 

But the Lakers have been playing such great basketball? How is this possible? Well, we could trace it back to late December/early January, when Lakers head coach Darvin Ham decided to roll out a new lineup of Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince to replace the backcourt of D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves that went alongside Jarred Vanderbilt, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James. 

The Lakers went on an abysmal stretch during that time, going 3-10. The lineup had seemed set, and it was pleasing to watch, at least for other teams in the league. One Eastern Conference executive says they had hoped Ham would stick with that lineup for the remainder of the season. 

"We never honestly thought [Ham] would stick with [not playing last year's core together] all year," one Eastern Conference scout said. "We were definitely happy he waited as long as he did and until after we played both our games against him."

Things turned for the Lakers when Ham inserted forward Rui Hachimura into the starting lineup after Jarred Vanderbilt's foot injury on February 1st.

Since then, the Lakers have turned the page and played great basketball. The only problem is that so has the rest of the Western Conference. The lineup change may be too little, too late. The Lakers will not be getting out of the play-in tournament with only two games remaining, and their odds of securing a playoff spot have diminished. 

It's fair to say that stretch of basketball hurt the Lakers more than any other injury LA has suffered. We will all look back at that stretch and say that is where it went downhill for LA. It's unfortunate, but that's the reality with this tight and competitive Western Conference this season. 

We'll see if the Lakers can overcome the odds and make another deep playoff run.