Former 2-time Lakers champion says there’s only one way to fix Lakers

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Lamar Odom thinks the Los Angeles Lakers should reach back into the past and change their offense to get out of their current slump and turn their season around.

The two-time NBA champion under head coach Phil Jackson advocated for the Lakers to use the famed triangle offense to right the ship for the rest of the season.

The Lakers have fallen to a 17-19 record and into 11th place in the Western Conference, winning just two of their past 11 games. They will take a four-game losing streak into their matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

That game reportedly is “crucial” for head coach Darvin Ham, whose future may be in doubt as the losses pile up. But perhaps before changing the head coach, the Lakers will heed Odom’s advice and instead change their offensive philosophy first.

Jackson and assistant coach Tex Winter implemented the triangle offense with the Lakers near the turn of the century and it helped them win five NBA championships.

The Lakers no doubt need something to keep this season from falling apart. Since winning the first NBA Cup as champions of the inaugural In-Season Tournament on Dec. 9, the feeling around the team has changed considerably.

Though a high-ranking Lakers source is reportedly pushing back on the idea that Ham will be fired, the coach is receiving some harsh criticism, including from ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins.

Reports of a disconnect between the head coach and the locker room continue to persist, with rookie Maxwell Lewis using social media to seemingly agree with that notion. Another observer, ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith, is blaming the role players who have “betrayed” stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

James for his part is doing everything he can to pull the Lakers out of the slump, but his best efforts have not worked recently. Despite the 39-year-old playing more than 38 minutes and scoring 32 points, they lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 127-113 on Friday.

There is still plenty of time — and an opportunity such as the NBA trade deadline next month — for the Lakers to turn things around. But the sooner they find a way to do so, the better it will be for all involved.