Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Darvin Ham's reason for Lakers' blowout loss doesn't hold water

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 2/23/24

The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, 110-128. LeBron James missed the game due to an injury. Anthony Davis played despite having lost his voice. During his postgame news conference, head coach Darvin Ham noted that Davis' inability to communicate on defense resulted in the Lakers losing their first game back since the All-Star break.

“You’re not going to get through a game like this with that type of firepower with that type of head of the snake, in terms of Steph [Curry], without everyone talking," Ham said. "...Him having a little trouble with his voice tonight definitely impacted the game. My hat’s off to him. He still came out and did the best job he could under the circumstances.”

"We'll get an official word tomorrow morning, but in all likelihood, LeBron will be back tomorrow." pic.twitter.com/NYitb0NMND
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 23, 2024

If your defensive anchor can't verbalize coverages and be a vocal leader, it's undoubtedly going to affect your team's ability to get stops. However, that's not the reason the Lakers lost. They were missing their star forward. They were also facing a Warriors team playing with a purpose. Golden State is surging. Stopping Steph Curry and Co. when they're chasing a goal is a difficult task for any team, lost voice or not.

It's also worth noting that the Lakers have struggled on defense all season. They're 15th in the league for defensive rating. They're also 18th in the league for offensive rating. As such, the numbers indicate that the Lakers are a middle-of-the-pack team.

Yes, Davis' ailment likely hindered Ham's team from reaching their best. It did not, however, play a significant part in the Lakers being unable to stop Golden State's offensive movement. Nor did it limit them from shutting down their perimeter game.

If Los Angeles wants to win a championship this season, it will need to improve the production on both sides of the floor. Otherwise, the loss to the Warriors could be a preview of what's to come in the postseason.

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