Rob Pelinka has been the Los Angeles Lakers general manager since 2017. Yes, LeBron James and company won the NBA Championship in 2020. But aside from that stellar showing, he has fired more head coaches than the Lakers have won non-bubble playoff series in his tenure.
On Friday, Pelinka fired Darvin Ham — who was the coach behind both of those series wins by the way — after the Lakers were knocked out by the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
Ham looked lost in the playoffs and his team underperformed in the regular season. Firing him makes a certain amount of sense when the window for winning with LeBron James shrinks every year.
But why was it only Ham? Why isn't Rob Pelinka being kicked to the curb with him?
Rob Pelinka gets a pass as Lakers fire another head coach
There are a whole lot of Lakers fans and media out there wondering why the GM who put the team together isn't paying the price for its repeated failures...
When Rob Pelinka getting deserved smoke ?
— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) May 3, 2024
It was all Darvin Ham’s fault! Remember when he traded for Westbrook, picked D-Lo over Conley in the Russ makeup trade, drafted Hood-Schifino over Jaquez, signed Wood and Reddish, gave Rui and D-Lo short deals that immediately made them trade rumor guys…
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) May 3, 2024
Rob Pelinka has made a good amount of bad moves as GM. Letting Caruso walk, Westbrook trade, the JHS draft pick, basically every move since the 2020 championship hasn’t worked out.
— Tristan (@TBeckmann24) May 3, 2024
Spare me the deadline success last year, Lakers got swept in the WCF. https://t.co/j8w2Lv4vlA
This will be the 3rd coach Rob Pelinka hires. The secret sauce for the Lakers success has been competent front office moves as much as legendary coaches/players.
— Evan Barnes (@evan_b) May 3, 2024
There's more Qs I have with the FO and this roster than whoever they hire next. https://t.co/hlGjfgLnTJ
It seems that Pelinka is living off three things: Bringing LeBron to LA, bringing Anthony Davis to LA and that 2020 championship.
Those are three feathers in his cap but sports are a "what have you done for me lately" industry, as Frank Vogel found out when Pelinka fired him two seasons after he won the title.
Since 2020 the Lakers have been just barely over .500 at the end of any season. They've made questionable moves that have led to the success you'd expect from a team with two superstars like James and Davis. The supporting cast hasn't exactly been reliable.
So, LA keeps dumping head coaches and wondering why things aren't working out instead of looking closer at who is supposed to be setting those head coaches up for success.
Don't be surprised when history repeats itself.