Lakers Scapegoat Handed Demotion To Restore Damaged Reputation 2056 Miles Away From LA

After just two seasons together, the Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham last month after a disappointing post-season. Since then, there’s been radio silence on Ham’s end, until now. In a shocking turn of events, Ham has now found his new home, 2056 miles away from LA, in Milwaukee. But not for the position you’d expect.

According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Darvin Ham is being demoted to the position of assistant coach for his new coaching job. His tweet read, “Darvin Ham is joining the Milwaukee Bucks as the top assistant coach to Doc Rivers, sources tell ESPN. Ham returns to the franchise after spending two years as the Lakers head coach. He had been highly sought-after among teams this spring.”

Ham was assistant coach to Mike Budenholzer, then-head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks for four seasons before he left to take up his position at the Lakers. And now, he is set to be reunited with Milwaukee under its new coach, Doc Rivers.

For Ham, the relocation to Milwaukee is a calculated move as well as a fresh start. Going back to the Bucks, where he has played and coached before, gives him a chance to prove his coaching abilities and rebuild his reputation away from the harsh scrutiny he endured in Los Angeles.

But why was Ham demoted from head coach to assistant coach? Are the Lakers right about his ineptness or was he forced to say good bye to his head coaching career for another reason?

Was Darvin Ham a scapegoat for the LA Lakers?

With two-more years left on his contract, Ham was forced out of Los Angeles after not being able to guide them to victory past the Denver Nuggets for the second consecutive year. The move begs the question: Was Ham the sole reason contributing to the Lakers’ failure or was Ham’s dismissal a way to cover up the team’s underlying problems?

During his tenure, Ham led the Lakers to their first-ever in-season tournament victory, achieved two play-in tournament triumphs, lead the team to the Western Conference Finals the year prior, and posted a 90-74 record in the regular season. In the last five years, the Lakers have fired two head coaches. Are the coaches genuinely the problem, or are they being made scapegoats for the team’s broader issues?

But it wasn’t that simple. The Athletic reported that even rival players could sense the Lakers’ dissatisfaction with Ham’s coaching. Players felt that Ham’s lineups, rotations, and strategies were inefficient and left too many opponents open, which was the root of their discontent. Ham’s term was also plagued by player availability issues and injuries. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Ham acknowledged that it has been very difficult, “Everyone that’s been in and out of the lineup. Being criticized for not having a consistent rotation when I don’t have consistent healthy bodies.”

The Lakers are still searching for his replacement. As Ham departs to become Doc Rivers’ top assistant coach at the Milwaukee Bucks, the Lakers have to face the possibility that their issues may extend beyond the head coach. Addressing these issues will be vital if the team wishes to see a championship victory again.