Lakers News: Darvin Ham Not Happy With This Element After Close Win Over Spurs
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The Los Angeles Lakers rebounded after Thursday's loss with a 123-118 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
Despite the win, the Lakers will likely not be pleased. They only won by five points, even while facing a team that has just an 11-46 record. The Lakers also held an 18-point lead at one point in the game yet could not keep that kind of distance for the entirety.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham particularly thought there was some room for improvement after the game.
“You want your team to constantly look within and try to make plays and force the other team to put you in uncomfortable positions. Not you put yourself in those uncomfortable positions, whether it’s not sprinting back in transition or allowing teams to get two or three offensive rebounds. Or, you know, fouling because we’re not in position because we’re not doing our work early. And then going down the other end and not trusting the execution."
As Ham points out, there were some areas in which the Lakers hurt themselves throughout the game. They didn't earn as many offensive rebounds as they could have. The Lakers notched just ten offensive rebounds, compared to the 16 the Spurs got.
In addition, the Lakers committed more fouls than usual. The Lakers average 16.3 fouls per game, the lowest average of any team in the NBA. While they did not commit a lot more than their average, they did foul the Spurs 18 times. This was four more than the Spurs, who committed just 14 fouls.
Neither of these are the biggest mistakes in the world, but they add up and can prove costly. The Lakers got the win this time, but they likely won't have the same margin for error ahead as they make a postseason push.
