Lakers Take Sides in Anthony Davis-Darvin Ham Dispute

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Anthony Davis #3 and Head coach Darvin Ham of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis had some choice words about Head Coach Darvin Ham’s gameplan following Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.

Ham came to his player’s defense. But the matter did not sit well with Lakers brass, who sided with Ham on the matter.

“I can tell you from speaking to people within the Lakers organization, that they were upset and disappointed, quite frankly, by AD’s comments; publicly going out there and putting his coach out there like that,” TNT’s Jared Greenberg reported on on NBA TV on April 25. “Particularly because the Lakers clearly had a good enough understanding of the gameplan Monday to take a 20-point lead.

“Part of that 20-point lead was AD going 11-for-12 from the field in the first half. And then in the crucial fourth quarter, AD went 0-for-1. He just got one fourth-quarter shot and did not score any points. So the Lakers feel like they have a good enough understanding. … Hopefully, they’ll get things right tonight.”

Davis finished the night with a game-high 32 points.

It was not enough to stave off dropping their 11th straight contest to the Nuggets, putting them into a daunting hole ahead of a critical Game 3.

Anthony Davis Questions Darvin Ham’s Gameplan After Lakers’ Game 2 Loss

“We have stretches where we just don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor,” Davis told reporters on April 22. “Those are the ones that cost us. So we got two days to get it right right and come ready to win Game 3.”

Ham was understanding of Davis’ frustrations. But he also defended himself and his staff.

“Sometimes the plays don’t turn out the way you think they should,” Ham told reporters on April 24. “Frustrations set in a little bit. But I don’t think it’s us not being organized.

“We, the coaching staff, pride ourselves on being highly efficient and organized. I just thought he was just being frustrated. It was an emotional game the way it ended. We agree to disagree on that one.”

This is just the latest clash for Ham with one of his star players this season.

He most notably had a rumored rift with Austin Reaves after the latter pushed back on the former’s assertion that injuries were playing a key part in their struggles during the season.

Ham has insisted he has a good relationship with his players, including Davis and LeBron James. He’s referred to Davis and James as his “captains,” noting he discusses pertinent issues with them such as the Lakers’ lineup changes that sparked Reaves’ comments.

The second-year head coach has also touted ownership’s confidence in him.

That support has not wavered, even as Ham’s coaching has come under fire this season. For now, the Lakers will turn their focus on Game 3 after an “intense” film session reviewing Game 2 that James said “stung,” per Greenberg.

Lakers Facing ‘Must-Win’ Situation in Game 3 vs Nuggets

“What I’m most curious to see tonight, is if the Lakers are in a close game … how do they make the counter to the Nuggets’ counter?” Greenberg said.

“What we’ve heard coming out of Nuggets camp over the last 48 hours since Game 2, is that they haven’t even scratched the surface of really diving into their gameplan for this series. As close as the Lakers were the other night, the Nuggets really feel like they haven’t played all that well.

“This could be scary times for the Lakers here going into Game 3, which is clearly a must-win.”

Teams that fall behind 0-2 in a best-of-seven series are 33-416 in NBA history, per Land Of Basketball. Teams that go down 0-3 haven’t completed the comeback in 151 tries.

Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com with a focus on the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. He has covered the NBA and NFL since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter