It was shaping up to be a promising season for the Los Angeles Lakers, as seen in their triumph in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. However, it has all gone downhill for the Lakers since. After winning the NBA Cup, the Lakers proceeded to lose five of their next six games, prompting head coach Darvin Ham to make a seismic rotation shift, benching D'Angelo Russell in favor of Jarred Vanderbilt during their December 23 contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While that move gave the Lakers more size to match up with the Thunder and it worked during that game, thanks in large part to LeBron James' epic 40-7-7 night, benching Russell wasn't the catch-all panacea that Ham may have been hoping for. Following that rousing win over the Thunder, the Lakers have now lost four of their past five — with Russell missing two of those games due to a tailbone injury.

Ham's decision to bench D'Angelo Russell, which is now made to look worse by the Lakers' recent win-loss record, did not sit too well with some members of the organization. According to Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic. multiple parties in the Lakers organization called this decision a “head-scratcher”.

The rationale behind Darvin Ham's decision to bench Russell is clear. Flanking LeBron James and Anthony Davis with three defensive-minded players could allow the Lakers to set the tone defensively while giving James and Davis as many touches as possible. Meanwhile, handing over the reins of the offense to Russell and Austin Reaves whenever James rests helps the Lakers remain afloat in preparation for the King's return to the court.

Alas, this decision seems to have sapped D'Angelo Russell's confidence. Moreover, teams just load up on James and Davis, forcing the Lakers' underqualified role players to create offense and make plays. During the Lakers' most recent defeat, 110-96 loss to the Miami Heat, it was clear that the Purple and Gold was screaming out for another offensive creator to help them break down the Heat's suffocating 2-3 zone.

Russell's trade value has also declined precipitously as a result of this change from Ham; with the Lakers in pursuit of Dejounte Murray or Zach LaVine, this is not a welcome development at all. There will be changes for the Lakers soon enough, especially with Darvin Ham now officially on the hot seat.