Let me understand it. The Lakers, coached by Darvin Ham, are eliminated in the first round by the defending NBA champions and Ham is lazy.. The Clippers, led by Tyronn Lue, are eliminated in the first round by a mediocre Mavericks team and Lue is a genius as a coach. It sounds to me like LeBron, the GFOAT (greatest point guard of all time) is looking for a facilitator, not a coach. How many more coaches and teammates will James have to throw under the bus until the Cowardly Lion, Rob Pelinka, says enough is enough?
Mark S. Roth
Beach View
::
I’ve been around for over 58 years and I’ve never seen an organization that disrespects the wrong people every year and stupidly makes the same mistakes over and over again (except for the one I work for).
The coach trains and doesn’t play, but when you have a player, regardless of who it is, undermining the coach it’s very difficult to get everyone on the same page. Going through trainers like toilet paper is a real shame!
Clean house on the Lakers and sell them soon. I’m so sorry, Dr. Buss, that his dream turned into this nightmare.
Kelly Mark Ritchie
Calabasas
::
Last week you filled your letters column with clueless expressions and a ridiculously tiny Sports Report poll that blamed LeBron James for the Lakers’ first-round exit.
In fact, James is the main reason the Lakers were competitive and, if they had been coached competently, they could have beaten the Nuggets and would now be advancing to the playoffs.
Ham’s panicked lineup experimentation and foolish substitutions were obstacles the players could not overcome despite their laudable efforts. The Lakers were right to fire Ham.
As for the fans who want James gone, please support another team and leave the Lakers for those of us who understand the game!
Ray McKown
Torrance
::
Why even waste time and print space covering the Lakers? coach search? There is no search. LeBron will choose the next coach. Just like he will decide who the Lakers sign in free agency or trade for, who they draft (no doubt his son), and probably how much beer it will cost in the arena next season. He makes the decisions because the team’s management is too afraid not to let him for fear that he will be offended and “take his talents elsewhere.”
Bob Fanelli
Whittier
::
So Darvin Ham has lost his job. Reading websites like the LA Times, ESPN, and Athletic, it would seem that the players no longer believed in Ham. At that moment it is no longer about right or wrong, fair or unfair. Once a coach loses the locker room, he’s done. It’s over. You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. Ham is not a bad coach, but he was no longer the right coach.
Michael Forrest
Portero Ranch
::
If, as Bill Plaschke says, the Lakers should consider hiring Becky Hammon as their next coach, it will take an enlightened owner like Jeanie Buss to take a step as bold as hiring the NBA’s first female head coach. With history as a guide, the decision will still depend on what general manager LeBron James wants.
Ron Yukelson
San Luis Bishop
::
The Lakers need to follow the Chargers’ playbook when hiring a coach: a coach with enough prestige to draw attention.
Andres Rubin
the Angels
::
Hey, did you hear about the new theme song that Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka released? “Who are you going to call: Coach Busters?”
Gary Engstrom
seal beach
Hair clippers get lost
Broderick Turner’s article on the Clippers’ season ending in disappointment “once again” says it all. I was a passionate Clippers fan when Donald Sterling was the owner and the team was a perennial loser. Not much was expected, but the games were fun to watch. Now the team is lost. Paying large sums of money to aging stars who struggle to play together. One day they are good, the next day they are not. It’s hard to watch, especially compared to the fast, coordinated teams in the West.
andres simons
Saint Barbara
::
The Clippers have talented players and a passionate owner who really wants to win a title. They have a coach considered one of the best in the NBA. However, once again, they failed to advance to the playoffs because they cannot count on their star players. Kawhi Leonard succumbed to injury again, leaving him unavailable when they needed him most. The team has a long-term contract with him but can’t hold their breath for him to be injury-free. It’s just a very costly frustration. Paul George is not a “Playoff P,” giving a weak offensive output in games that really count and a lackadaisical attitude. Russell Westbrook seemed to disappear on the final drive.
Stop thinking that this crew will take us to the promised land. It’s a mirage.
TR Jahns
He knew
Give Ohtani a raise
Stats geeks can debate advanced metrics like on-base plus slugging percentage, launch angle, and exit velocity, but all I know is that at $700 million, Shohei Ohtani is extremely underpaid.
Steve Ross
carmel
::
The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all points of view. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They can be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. No pseudonyms will be used.
Email: sports@latimes.com
This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
