2 Obvious, 2 subtle moves Darvin Ham must make to turn Lakers into legit contenders
By Will Eudy
Subtle: Cut Prince's playing time
Going off of the previous point, Darvin Ham would also do well to slash some of Taurean Prince's playing time in general. Rotations always shrink leading up to and during the playoffs, and Prince is one player the Lakers should be relying on less and less.
Simply put, Taurean is not a versatile enough player to be cemented as a top six or seven player in the Lakers' playoff rotation. He has brought some solid minutes this season and of course started a large majority of the games during the regular season, and it is even fair to say he has overachieved in some ways. But there are still players on this roster much better suited for high usage in a playoff setting.
All the evidence we need to support this claim can be found in Prince's playoff numbers from the last two seasons in Minnesota. In both 2022 and 2023, his scoring numbers and shooting percentages dropped from the regular season to the playoffs.
The Lakers need to be relying on players who rise to the occasion in the playoffs. There are certainly guys in their locker room that play a similar role as Prince and are more trustworthy as playoff performers.