(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
It only took the Los Angeles Lakers a few days to fire head coach Darvin Ham.
When the 2023-24 season ended for the team, it was fairly clear that Ham was going to be sent packing as soon as possible.
Many Lakers fans were relieved to see Ham pushed out but Skip Bayless isn’t sure it was the right idea.
Speaking on “Undisputed,” Bayless said Ham didn’t deserve to be fired.
He did admit that the former head coach often looked like a bystander during games but he also said that many of the problems the Lakers suffered this season had nothing to do with his coaching.
“Darvin Ham didn’t deserve to be fired.”
— @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/S6ZRiWpBeL
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 6, 2024
He pointed out that Ham kept the Lakers very competitive against the Denver Nuggets last season, keeping games close until the final quarter.
And some of the bad luck the Lakers faced this year against that same team wasn’t because of Ham’s coaching.
Additionally, Bayless believes that Ham was right to propose that LeBron James be on a minutes restriction this season because it was going to preserve his strength and stamina.
When 2023–24 began, there was a lot of talk about Ham suggesting that James wouldn’t be playing all 48 minutes of a game.
To some, this was a smart move because James was on the verge of turning 39 years old and was still the most valuable player for the team.
For others, it was a bone-headed decision because the Lakers regularly rely on James and his power to win.
James didn’t like the idea, overruled Ham, and continued to play as much as he wanted.
Ham made his fair share of mistakes and he may have lost the faith of the locker room, which doomed his position as coach.
But Bayless thinks that he is being blamed for too much and didn’t deserve his walking papers.
The post Skip Bayless Says NBA Coach Didn’t Deserve To Be Fired appeared first on The Cold Wire.