"Was talkin so much when you won" - Lakers fans have a run at Darvin Ham as Bucks lose 5 games after NBA Cup 

The Doc Rivers and Darvin Ham-led Milwaukee Bucks have had the same ups and downs as the LA Lakers after winning the NBA Cup. The Lakers went 2-6 after an unbeaten run to win the NBA In-Season Tournament last year. The Bucks also went unbeaten in the midseason tournament but have a 3-5 losing record since.

Ham was on both teams. He led the Lakers last year as a head coach and is a top assistant coach under Rivers for the Bucks. Following Milwaukee's NBA Cup win, Ham had an explosive interview with Andscape about his tenure with the Lakers.

Ham made his case, saying he deserved an extension over getting fired. He also retaliated against critics calling out his Xs and Os abilities. Ham refused to take accountability for the Lakers' ups and downs despite struggling with his rotations.

Amid the Bucks' near-identical slump as the Lakers following the NBA Cup, the Purple and Gold fanbase pounced on the opportunity to troll Darvin Ham.

One user said:

"nah Darvin Ham where you at??? You was talkin so much when you won the in szn tourney"

"results of Darvin Scam," one fan added.

Another tweeted:

"So, can we name this the “Post NBA Cup Darvin Ham Curse”?" one fan said.

"Hmmm there’s a common denominator with both these teams at this time," one fan wrote.

One fan tweeted:

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LA Lakers are thriving under JJ Redick compared to Darvin Ham's 2023-24 season

The LA Lakers have nearly the same roster as last year. Their major change came at the coaching level in the offseason as the front office replaced Darvin Ham with the inexperienced JJ Redick. However, the Lakers have been more successful with Redick despite more injuries than last year.

Through 34 games in 2023-24, LA was 17-17, 10th in the standings. Ham's lineup choices continued to hold the Lakers back as he refused to play the starting five, which helped him reach the conference finals in the 2023 playoffs.

On the other hand, the 2024-25 Lakers under Redick are 20-14, fourth in the West. Redick has been more open to lineup changes than Ham. His straightforward approach has kept the team afloat. Redick is playing bigger lineups and staggering his rotations well to ensure the Lakers don't struggle in the non-LeBron James or non-Anthony Davis minutes.

Additionally, the Lakers have found success this year despite the absence of Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood. Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura have also missed games, leaving the team extremely thin on the frontcourt.

The Lakers seemingly have an identity as a defensive team and a sustainable approach with all the injuries and roster deficiencies.