Lakers fans have not necessarily warmed up to Darvin Ham in his first season as Lakers head coach. There have been consistent complaints, mostly about his rotation choices, throughout the season. He has received a lot of flak for what has been an inconsistent, often wildly frustrating season. On the other hand, to say the man has been dealt an imperfect hand would be a colossal understatement. He started the year with a mismatched roster that became even more mismatched at different points thanks to significant injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He's dealt with the whole Russell Westbrook thing, which was no picnic, and managed to make it work about as well as it could. From a buy in standpoint, Ham has done good work. And as the roster improved, lo and behold, so has the team's performance. So how good a coach has Ham been, and could he be the reason the Lakers win or (in the eyes of fans, more likely) lose in high leverage postseason games? It's an open question, no doubt. Meanwhile, heading into Friday's game against the Suns, there are a ton of moving parts and unknowns, about the lineup the Lakers will put on the floor (did they err in playing LeBron and Davis on Wednesday, even understanding the importance of that game? HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: There is a LOT to sort heading into Friday's game, from player availability to the standings. SEGMENT 2: Did the Lakers make a mistake playing AD and LeBron if it put their status for Friday in jeopardy? SEGMENT 3: Is Darvin Ham a playoff-caliber coach? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! ebay Motors For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let’s ride. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. 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. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. 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. 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 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