The Los Angeles Lakers were not happy with Anthony Davis' post-game comments to the media on Monday. According to the latest report from team insider Jared Greenberg, multiple voices within the organization described feelings of disappointment toward the All-NBA big man.
"From speaking with people within the Lakers' organization, they were upset and disappointed quite frankly by AD's comments and publicly putting his coach out there like that especially since the Lakers had a good enough understanding of the gameplan to take a 20-point lead."
In the aftermath of the Lakers' Game 2 loss earlier this week, in which the Purple and Gold gave up a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, Davis was noticeably critical of the gameplan and seemed to directly call out Darvin Ham for failing to prepare the team and just to the circumstances.
"We have stretches where we just don't know what we're doing on both ends of the floor," said Davis. "And those are the ones that cost us."
Ham came out to shoot down Davis' statement and blamed it on frustration over losing the series. Clearly, Davis sees it as a problem that needs to be addressed. And while Ham tried to play it off like it was no big deal, word has gotten out that tensions are rising and one can only imagine how much worse things might get if they lose Game 3 tonight.
Outmatched, outplayed, and hopelessly outgunned, the Lakers are facing impossible odds to win this series and they've already dug themselves into a hole. Even worse, there are no clear answers on the solution or a path ahead that might turn things around. If they don't find a way to stop the bleeding soon, something will have to give and many fans believe Darvin Ham will be the first to go.
The Future Is Uncertain For The Lakers
It's no secret that Darvin Ham might be coaching for his job in this series, and another sweep against the Nuggets could damage his odds of staying on as the long-term voice in the locker room. At the very least, his relationship with some of the players will take a hit after this series, as we're seeing that play out in real time between him and Anthony Davis.
Beyond the coaching situation, the Lakers also have LeBron James' impending free agency looming overhead. With his son, Bronny, on the verge of joining the NBA, LeBron could likely follow him and finally leave the Lakers after six seasons with the team.
Meanwhile, if the Lakers still want to win, they'll have to somehow build up the supporting cast with what little assets they have. Despite the best efforts from Rob Pelinka, the team still doesn't have enough to keep up with the best of the best and it will take nothing short of a miracle to make this squad a top 4 team next season.
For now, the only focus for the Lakers is on keeping their season alive and they will not give up until the series is officially over. With so much at stake, there's a lot worth fighting for and the stress of it all has got everyone on the team at each other's throats.
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