Before the season began, the Los Angeles Lakers were under a lot of pressure. The team’s leaders were also affected by the volume of criticism they received after they were eliminated from the playoffs the year before by the Denver Nuggets via a sweep in the first round.
Things did not go quite as Darvin Ham had hoped when he sought to devise a strategy that would benefit him and the club when they returned to the postseason. LeBron James reportedly requested a minutes restriction from Ham in order to keep him fresh for the postseason and prevent another meltdown.
Read More: Darvin Ham Admits To Not Having An Easy Ride Coaching The Los Angeles Lakers
James “bristled at the idea,” according to sources, and the proposal was abandoned a few games into the current campaign.
If supporters choose to see it that way, it can be challenging to admit that the Lakers lost in five games to the Nuggets, who again removed them from the playoffs because they didn’t follow the plan.
This is so accurate. Lefraud ruined the lakers organization. Zero titles when he got there lost all the young core that could have won them championships. Ruined the future. He traded key pieces & still failed. Now another coach is gone. Fn toxic man
— Lebron will never be top 11. Egotistical P.O.S (@lefraud_exposed) May 3, 2024
LeBron James has an alternative strategy
LeBron James accumulated 2,504 minutes in 71 games, which is the most since joining the Lakers in 2018 and the most since he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With his season average of 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds, James qualified for the All-Star game for the 20th time in a row.
Lakers' Playoff Exit Raises Questions About #LeBron James' Future with the Teamhttps://t.co/nYUmTRCJoh pic.twitter.com/EVbPKhw8C5
— Hard Knock News (@hardknocknews) May 1, 2024
Now that their head coach has been sacked and it’s unknown if LeBron James will play for the team next season, uncertainty hangs over the organization.