Darvin Ham’s Lakers Aim to Be the ‘Best Version of Ourselves

After the All-Star break, Darvin Ham talked about the Lakers’ determination to make their playoff dreams come true. Not content with simply getting into the playoffs, Los Angeles wants to solidify its position and avoid the dreaded play-in tournament. He mentioned that it’s important for them to go all out in every game so they can reach their ultimate goal: a secure spot in the postseason lineup. However, he acknowledged that if it happens to come down to a play-in tournament, then they will accept it as a challenge and fight hard. One thing is for sure — this Lakers team has its eyes set on playoff brilliance and they won’t lose sight of that anytime soon!

From Anthony Davis’ 22-point, 10-rebound double-double to the team’s 57.4 percent from the field and 43.1 percent from beyond the arc, the Lakers have been playing great basketball, both on offense and defense. Though it may seem that their current place in the Western Conference at 27-32 is dismal, they are actually only 2.0 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 10th seed standings and 3½ behind Dallas Mavericks for No. 6 in line for a playoff spot — not an impossible feat with only 19 match days left this season. If they can channel their last game’s performance every time they take the court, they could cause some serious waves in what has been a highly competitive Conference this season.

With the NBA’s trade deadline past and the All-Star break almost a wrap, time is quickly dwindling for the Los Angeles Lakers and their hopes of capturing a No. 6 playoff seed. Yet, despite having only 23 games left in the regular season, 4th-year Lebron James still believes this could be some of the most important games of his career — starting with seven pivotal match-ups immediately following the break. With all players pending to participate in practices now, it’s more important than ever that the Lakers capitalize on their newly assembled playing pieces and jell quicker than expected. Afterall, with time not on their side, every precious contest counts from here on out.

Thursday’s matchup against the Warriors comes as a tall task for Los Angeles, who will be fighting to stay ahead in the Western Conference rankings. In hoping to not lose any of their next six games, the Clippers face a difficult endeavor as the stats show that four of those teams rest in spots 6, 8, and 2 on the rankings table. Every win is paramount for L.A., but with losses much more costly in such tight competition, they have their work cut out over what could prove to be three crucial weeks to determine their destiny.

The Los Angeles Lakers have made it clear: winning is the only thing that matters. Assistant coach Ellen Ham stressed that idea to the team, saying, “We want to take care of what we can control and winning games is the focus.” To do this, they will stay with their current starting lineup of D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley alongside James and Anthony Davis. While the goal may seem impossible given their current position in the standings, Russell believes it is reachable. The Lakers are determined not to rely on other teams losing games; instead, success starts with them.

Lakers superstars Anthony Davis and Lebron James have a clear goal in mind- to make it as far as possible into the playoffs. With a great supporting cast and their experience, Davis believes that each game is a must-win situation. This mentality certainly carries weight-rather than viewing the upcoming games with any sort of casualness, they are treating it as if it were do or die; Game 7. Russell echoes this sentiment, claiming that anything is possible so long as Bron and AD are there ready to compete. And with the right attitude and mental fortitude, these Lakers will be sure to reach their goal – preferably sooner rather than later!