The omission of Darvin Ham from the Los Angeles Lakers has been holding the reins for a core change in purple and gold. After getting out of the playoffs for the second consecutive year, the Lakers coach has been getting criticism from all around. However, NBA insider Charles Barkley does not think so about the former. Barkley shut down the trolls on television, going behind Ham for the Lakers’ failure. The 11-time NBA star thinks that it is not wrong with the coach but with the one who assembled the team with bad players in the first place.

While discussing the criticism of Ham on the TNT show Inside the NBA, Barkley said, “You sit there like Darvin Ham needs to get fired. One who put the trash team together needs to get fired“. Clearly, Barkley here was referring to Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ vice president for basketball operations. The former NBA MVP even targeted the networks that were accusing Lakers Coach Ham of the loss as the former titled so-called critics “pu*k, idiots, and jackas**es.” Moreover, Barkley was convinced that it was not the coach who let Lakers fans’ hopes down as he further added, “The Lakers suck because of the players. It has nothing to do with the coaches.”

In light of Barkley’s criticism of Rob Pelinka, he might be the reason for the Lakers’ exit this year. After last year’s playoff exit, Pelinka was about to get ousted from the team due to poor performance. However, he restructured the team, bringing in Rui Hachimura. Moreover, the Lakers executive also retained Russell, Vanderbilt, and Austin Reaves last summer. But the team delivered underwhelmingly in the playoffs, despite all the ruckus around how good the team was.

Did Rob Pelinka’s restructuring damage the Los Angeles Lakers?

It is quite unbelievable that the Lakers won their last championship game four years ago. However, only Anthony Davis and LeBron James are there to remind the fans of that golden era. After that, Rob Pelinka reshaped the roster of the team last year, and the Lakers crumbled like a deck of cards. One of the most prominent hooks that the Lakers lost on their defensive end was Alex Caruso in 2021. He has become a great 3-and-D player for the Chicago Bulls, with 40.8 hitting accuracy.

One of the most questioned trades for the Lakers was the Westbrook trade that ousted Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma from the team. Caldwell-Pope became a great asset to the Denver Nuggets later and has been a great 3’s shooter with 40.5% accuracy on the hoop. Apart from the former Nuggets player, Kuzma has also been doing well at Wizards with his 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists this season. The void these players left has not yet been filled due to the lack of a role player depth asset.

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However, the list is not over. Jaden McDaniels, Brook Lopez, and Ivica Zubac are other gems that the Lakers lost over time. These key pieces provided depth to the Lakers, which is all lost from the current team. However, there is no point in digging into the past. The only way to progress for the purple and gold jerseys is to make some big moves this summer to restore their legacy.