The Timberwolves hammered the Lakers in a sensational upset, routing them 118-111 on Thursday night. The Lakers lost their fourth consecutive game. And this time, LeBron James was absent because he had rested on the second night of back-to-back games. The Timberwolves, now at 21-6, share the NBA’s top spot with Boston. Anthony Davis, despite a questionable ankle, took the court, but it was Austin Reaves who emerged as a game-changer with an impressive 18-point performance off the bench.
But it was only after the game that Lakers fans discovered how many funnels thwarted the party—they took out their anger on coach Darvin Ham.
Lakers fans outraged at Darvin Ham’s strategy for Austin Reaves
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Post-game comments made by Darvin Ham about Austin Reaves elicited a firestorm among Lakers fans. According to Jovan Buhae of The Athletic, Ham said after the game that “he prefers to keep Austin Reaves in the 27-to-28-minute range as it keeps him ‘fresh’ and ‘efficient’.” Fans expressed disappointment as they wanted to see a more attack-oriented approach.
Darvin Ham noted postgame that he prefers to keep Austin Reaves in the 27-to-28-minute range as it keeps him “fresh” and “efficient.”
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 22, 2023
Fans took to social media to voice their frustrations, with one commenting, “Nah, this is just your excuse for terrible rotations. As the third-best player, he has to be at 34+ minutes a night.” This is what many fans were expressing anger about—they felt that his rotation had been mishandled by unwise coaching decisions.
Nah this is just your excuse for terrible rotations. As the third best player he has to be at 34+ a night
— xVerlix (@xVerlix_) December 22, 2023
Another fan wondered sarcastically, “What does that mean? He is like 24 years old.” The fans were suspicious of Ham’s approach, wondering how it would adversely affect team strategy and results.
What does this even mean he’s like 23 years old
— MVP43🐐 (@StepBackPascal) December 22, 2023
There was even criticism of the overall strategy, with one fan asking, “So what’s the plan for Dlo?”
So what’s the plan for Dlo?
— Dr. Paco Hinton Jr Podcaster (@DrPacoHinton) December 22, 2023
The criticism even got funny when one fan deadpanned, “What? Does Austin have a golf tournament tomorrow or what?” The sarcastic remark highlighted the perceived absurdity of the explanation provided by Ham, adding a touch of levity to the otherwise frustrated fan responses.
what? does austin have a golf tournament tmr or what?
— Pack Mamba (@Pack_Mamba) December 22, 2023
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As the fan reactions poured in, some took a more direct approach, expressing their lack of confidence in Ham’s coaching abilities. “Ham is not a serious coach,” declared one fan
Ham is not a serious coach.
— Richie B (@wannabefresh) December 22, 2023
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To sum it up, the loss to the Timberwolves was not only a new low point for the Lakers but also let loose a tide of discontent from fans against Darvin Ham. Reports related to Austin Reaves ‘playing time started a discussion about coaching decisions, and many Lakers fans wondered what the coaches were doing in terms of personnel management during this tough period for the team.
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