The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a downward spiral as they have lost nine of their last 12 games since winning the NBA In-Season Tournament. LeBron James is back to his passive-aggressive behavior. Anthony Davis is frustrated. Lakers coach Darvin Ham's seat is getting hotter with every loss. After seemingly hitting rock bottom with the Lakers' latest loss to the Miami Heat, it is becoming clear that changes need to be made in some way or form.
There has reportedly been a “deepening disconnect” between coach Ham and the Lakers locker room, per Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
There's currently a growing disconnect between Darvin Ham and Lakers locker room stemming from disjointedness around rotation and adjustments, per me and @jovanbuha.
Story at @TheAthletic on Lakers, losers of 3 in row, nine of 12 and now under .500: https://t.co/shM7alh3xy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 4, 2024
The misalignment is reportedly stemming from Ham's drastic lineup and rotation changes, which have disrupted the rhythm of several players across the Lakers roster. This has raised some speculation that the Lakers could soon move on from their current coach.
Is the clock ticking for Darvin Ham? Will he receive the pink slip soon? If the Lakers fire Darvin Ham, who should be the next coach to man the sidelines for the Purple and Gold? Here are some possible candidates.
Lakers potential Darvin Ham replacements
Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers is currently taking a hiatus from the stress of manning the sidelines of an NBA team and is enjoying his job as an analyst and color commentator for ESPN. Rivers, however, could potentially find himself as a coach again if the Lakers vacate their head coaching job.
Despite his souring reputation over the last few years, Rivers is still one of the best available coaching candidates in the market. Rivers has caught some flak because of his inability to lead his teams, whether it be with the Los Angeles Clippers or the Philadelphia 76ers, deep into the postseason despite having championship-caliber rosters. Media and analysts have criticized the veteran coach because of his lack of adjustments when things go south, which has led to multiple disappointing playoff exits.
Nonetheless, Rivers, a two-time Coach of the Year, still has a ton of playoff experience — a lot more than Ham. Likewise, he has led a team — the Lakers' rival at that — to a championship. Moreover, Rivers and LeBron James have mutual respect with one another. If the Lakers fire Darvin Ham, he should be atop their list of potential replacements.
Phil Handy
If the Lakers go the internal route, they should look no further than current assistant coach Phil Handy. Handy has been knocking on the door of a head coaching gig for quite a while and with his success as an assistant, he stands a strong chance at a promotion on the Lakers coaching staff.
Handy's NBA coaching journey started in 2011 with the Lakers as a player development coach under then-head coach Mike Brown. He later moved with Brown when the latter went to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013 and maintained an assistant position through the Cavs' NBA Finals runs led by none other than LeBron James from 2015 to 2018, including their historic title win in 2016.
Handy then became an assistant with the Toronto Raptors under Nick Nurse for the 2018-19 season, where he helped steer the franchise to its first ever NBA championship. After that, he moved onto his current role with the Lakers, where he also won a title in 2020.
A three-time NBA champ, Handy is one of the more respected assistant coaches in the league. Moreover, his rapport and relationship with James also is well-documented, having spent time with the Lakers superstar with Cleveland and then with Los Angeles. He should have a strong candidacy should the Lakers fire Ham.
Kenny Atkinson
Kenny Atkinson is another potential Darvin Ham replacement in case the Lakers give him the boot. Atkinson currently serves as an assistant coach under Steve Kerr for the Golden State Warriors. He has been in the Bay Area since 2021 and helped the Warriors return back to the mountaintop and win the 2022 NBA Championship.
Atkinson carries extensive experience as an assistant coach in the NBA, having also served stints with the New York Knicks (2008 to 2012), Atlanta Hawks (2012 to 2016), and the Los Angeles Clippers (2020-21).
The 56-year-old also has NBA head coaching experience when he served that role for the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020. Led by a group of overlooked players such as D'Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, and Caris LeVert, the Nets became one of the biggest surprises of the 2018-19 season. Atkinson helped bring back the Nets franchise to relevance when he mentored the team to a postseason appearance during the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
Atkinson almost became the next head coach for the Charlotte Hornets in 2022, but chose to remain with the Warriors staff after they won the title two years ago. With Golden State currently sinking, perhaps the Lakers can pry away the well-respected mentor from The Bay Area.
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