Will Darvin Ham's Inexperience Prevent the Lakers From Making the Play-in?

The Lakers, according to the fine folks at Tankathon (and by other measurements as well) have the league's easiest schedule down the stretch. That includes tonight's game against a hobbled New Orleans squad, and Wednesday against the Rockets, who are awful. They see the Bulls twice, get a beat up Dallas team, the Suns (at least once) without Kevin Durant and the Magic. By the time the schedule grants two games against Utah, the Jazz may or may not still be playing for a playoff berth. (Of course, they're saying the same thing about the Lakers on Locked On Jazz.) So the idea they could be playing significant games down the stretch, even understanding that LeBron is going to miss a huge chunk of time, isn't at all far-fetched. Not given how the Lakers have played since the NBA's trade deadline, Sunday's loss notwithstanding. To get there, they need top shelf performances from Anthony Davis, and on days where he's anything less, elevated performances from the supporting cast. They didn't get the latter on Sunday, particularly from Malik Beasley, who has struggled mightily since joining the purple and gold. Like, from everywhere around the floor. Is he in danger of losing playing time to someone like Lonnie Walker IV? What would it take for that to happen? Would the Lakers be better off? And how about Darvin Ham? His coaching choices have been a point of scrutiny for Lakers fans all season. On Sunday, he was criticized for sitting D'Angelo Russell and Davis at the same time, on a night where the other dudes weren't up to the task. So is he, in his rookie season as a head coach, capable of navigating a situation in which pretty much every string he pulls needs to be the right one? It's a tough spot to be in. How confident should Lakers fans be? HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: LeBron James is trying mightily to find a way back to the floor this season. Will the Lakers still be playing meaningful games if/when he does? SEGMENT 2: Malik Beasley needs to pick it up. SEGMENT 3: Is Ham up to the task? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. Ibotta Right now, Ibotta is offering our listeners $5 just for trying Ibotta by using the code Locked when you register. Go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app.  Ultimate Pro Basketball GM To download the game just visit probasketballgm.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store. PrizePicks First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON BetterHelp This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at Betterhelp.com/LockedOnNBA and get on your way to being your best self. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices