The Los Angeles Lakers faced a disappointing defeat at home against the Miami Heat (110-96), prompting head coach Darvin Ham to pinpoint a crucial issue affecting his team.
The Lakers’ performance hit a season-low with 22 turnovers and a mere 13.3% success rate from three-pointers, contributing to their 3-9 record in the last 12 games.
Despite an outstanding effort from Anthony Davis, who recorded 29 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks, and a noteworthy contribution from starter Austin Reaves with 24 points, five rebounds, and eight assists, the team struggled.
LeBron James had his worst games this season, scoring only 12 points on 6/18 field goals and missing all six attempts from beyond the arc. Starters Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish finished with zero points.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham pinpointed a crucial issue affecting the team—players getting discouraged after mistakes during the game.
Ham emphasized the need for a “next-play mentality,” urging players to remain resilient and focused, particularly in handling unforced turnovers. He introduced a concept called “limbo rate,” indicating the team’s ability to bounce back from setbacks.
Despite the recent challenges, Ham expressed confidence in the team’s ability to figure things out, acknowledging the competitiveness of NBA basketball and the necessity to give their all in every possession.
“I just think not being discouraged,” Ham said. That’s the biggest thing. We have this thing, it’s a new stat I call a limbo rate. You have to have a next-play mentality, regardless of what happens on the floor.
“You turn the ball over, you try to make a competitive play – great. The unforced turnovers are the ones that really hurt you. We had ten. It’s human nature for you to get down and be disappointed when those unfortunate things happen.
“At the end of the day, it’s NBA basketball. It’s extremely hard to win in this league. You have to really pour all of yourself into each and every possession or as many as possible. And we’ll figure it out. It’s a lot of time left, but the time is precious. We have to get to it, figure it out. We will.”
