After an extremely disappointing 2021-22 season for the Los Angeles Lakers, the team parted with their championship-winning head coach Frank Vogel. Last week, they agreed to terms with former Bucks assistant Darvin Ham to take the position.
Darvin Ham was considered for many coaching jobs over the past couple of years, finally landing a gig with Los Angeles. He had a decade-long career as a player in the league, winning a championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.
Throughout their tumultuous season, the Lakers lacked a leader or guiding voice. With LeBron James only getting older, Anthony Davis never seeming to say on the court, and the Russell Westbrook experiment floundering in year one, one of the league’s most storied franchises needed a change of direction.
As the offseason progresses, it’s getting more likely that Westbrook stays in Los Angeles for another year. Of course, if they could move on from his $47 million player option that he’s bound to accept they would, but it’s nearly impossible. Trade ideas with Houston for John Wall have been explored, but would likely leave the Lakers in the same spot.
Therefore, Ham was asked many questions about Westbrook’s future in the purple in gold in his introductory press conference on Monday. He emphasized that Russell “is one of the best players our league has ever seen.” While that is true, his prime years are certainly behind him. He’ll need to adjust his playstyle to become a more effective player on the court, as he can’t play the same way as his 2016-17 MVP season.
Coach Ham talked about Westbrook getting back to guarding at a championship level, something he hasn’t done in quite some time. The point guard has the physical tools and athleticism to do so, but his consistent effort on the defensive side of the ball hasn’t been there.
These answers could just be something to keep the max-contract player comfortable, as there was a clear rift between Westbrook and Vogel last season. However, when put in the right situation, he can still add positive value to a team trying to win a championship.
He’ll have to buy into the system Darvin Ham is trying to implement, similar to Ime Udoka’s transformation of the Boston Celtics. Focus on the defensive end, and the offense will come. The Lakers ideally have decent defensive personnel to make a run in the playoffs – Westbrook and LeBron are both above-average defenders when they’re engaged.
Last season, the Lakers’ pure effort was one of their biggest problems, something that a new coach, especially one with Ham’s track record, can turn around.
Beyond Russ, the new Lakers coach mentioned that Anthony Davis is the key to the Lakers. He’s absolutely right, as AD is the only superstar on the team in his prime – he has to figure out a way to stay on the court at a reasonable rate. If Los Angeles can get back Anthony Davis from the bubble, they immediately vault back to the top four of the Western Conference.
Whether it’s all talk or not, new Lakers coach Darvin Ham is attempting to empower his players with confidence as his first course of action. He should be able to earn the respect of the locker room more than Vogel could at any point last season.