The Lakers wrapped up the first half of their season Monday, losing in Denver on a night where LeBron, Anthony Davis, and so many other players were in street clothes that rookie Cole Swider was pressed into big minutes. The result was hardly a surprise. But after, Darvin Ham was asked about the first half of the season. He noted the tough start, and the fact the Lakers have lost a bunch of games they should have won. Disappointed as he clearly is to be three games under .500 at the midpoint, Ham expressed a belief that the team is trending in the right direction, and is better than the record suggests.

Progress, after all, has been made under still-challenging conditions. Because a 2-10 start is a heck of a hole to put yourself in as a team.

So is he right to be optimistic about the final 41 games?

While all the normal caveats remain - nobody knows when Anthony Davis plays again, or if he'll stay healthy once he does, LeBron is 38, the supporting cast is largely untested, and so on - a case for optimism can be made. Certainly the Lakers are in better shape now vis-a-vis a playoff spot than they were a couple weeks ago, and if they can continue to perform through a difficult-but-home-heavy January that might get them close to an AD return. Ham seems to have found a rhythm with his rotation, and certain guys (a hopefully not-injured Pat Beverley, for example) have improved. The supporting cast, if AD and LeBron continue playing at an MVP level, has shown itself to be good enough to be competitive.

Meanwhile, what kind of grade does Ham get for his first 41 games as a head coach?

Who has been the team's biggest surprise? Its biggest disappointment?

And coming Thursday, a deep dive into Russell Westbrook, where we look at a question that may look simple, but isn't: Is Russell Westbrook playing well?

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Is Darvin Ham's optimism about the second half justified?

SEGMENT 2: What has improved about Ham's work through the first half? What kind of grade does he deserve?

SEGMENT 3: Surprises and disappointments for the Lakers through 41 games.

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