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LeBron James and the LA Lakers have slowed down since winning the NBA In-Season Tournament. Some analysts blame coach Darvin Ham for the team's woes. One of them is LeBron's former Cavs teammate and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins. The Lakers are 17-17 and tenth in the Western Conference.
Since becoming the IST champions, they have won only three of 11 games. They ended 2023 with back-to-back losses against the New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves despite having LeBron James as the starting point guard.
After 34 games into the season, the Lakers have generally not lived up to expectations following an Western Conference Finals finish the previous campaign.
Perkins puts the blame on Ham for his coaching decisions, leading to the team's underwhelming performances.
“I will not let Darvin Ham off the hook,” Perkins said. “He gotta elevate his game as well, with his rotations, with his set-calling, with everything across the board. The way he stagger 'Bron and A.D. minutes. All across the board, Darvin Ham got to elevate his game.”
LA Lakers prepare to battle LeBron James' former team, Miami Heat, to open 2024
The Miami Heat are on the road and visit the LA Lakers on Tuesday night at the Crypto.com Arena. Both teams have been dealing with injuries, but the Heat own the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference, going 19-14.
It is not the same for the LA Lakers, though, as both Anthony Davis and LeBron James have faced challenges with a few injuries, including on their supporting cast.
The Lakers lost their last two road games against the Timberwolves and Pelicans. They will miss a few key players like Rui Hachimura and Cam Reddish, while D'Angelo Russell remains doubtful to play.
With 11 of their next 12 games in Los Angeles, the Lakers will hope to capitalize on their home-court advantage as they look to move up the standings.
LeBron James is questionable for the Heat game due to illness. The Lakers will look to improve their performance, particularly on defense, as they need to fare better on the road and strive for success at home.
