Darvin Ham is coaching for his job in Game 5 for the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers were able to stave off elimination with a win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Tonight, the Lakers will have another crack at the defending NBA champions in Game 5 as the series shifts back to Ball Arena. But even after their Game 4 win, Los Angeles is still on the verge of elimination as they head back into hostile territory.

The advantage still rests with Denver, and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski believes that if the Lakers fall short tonight, coach Darvin Ham will find himself on the hot seat.

"If you are a head coach of the Lakers and you get swept in the first round of the playoffs, or you lose in five, you've got job issues. You've got job security issues," Wojnarowski said. "And Darvin Ham will have that."

Darvin Ham could be on hot seat if Lakers fall short

If the Lakers win Game 5, Game 6 will set up well for them as they'll return home with a chance to force Game 7. But in the meantime, they have to avoid elimination.

Ham guided the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals last season, where they were swept by the Nuggets. But it appears that his job will be on the line if the Lakers come up short tonight.

Who would replace Ham is anybody's guess as of now. Wojnarowski notes that Mike Budenholzer is still available after his dismissal from the Milwaukee Bucks last season, though he might be looking for a higher salary than what the Lakers are willing to pay.

The Lakers fired Frank Vogel after a disastrous 2021-22 season before pivoting to Ham, who has now led them to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

If the Lakers lose and Ham is fired, it will mark the second time in three years that the Lakers have made a coaching change.

It's clear that there will be a lot of question marks surrounding Ham if the Lakers' season ends tonight. The Lakers are also going to have to deal with the possibility of LeBron James leaving in free agency, as he could decline his player option for the 2024-25 season.

Even Ham has dealt with some public criticism from Anthony Davis, which came after their Game 2 loss. Ham stated that he would have to agree to disagree with Davis on this matter.

We'll see if the Lakers can stave off elimination in Denver and force a Game 6 back at home.