"I'm not worried about LeBron James, see Darvin Ham is going to do wonders with Anthony Davis" - Kendrick Perkins believes new LA Lakers coach won't hesitate from holding AD accountable
The LA Lakers were one of the most disappointing teams in 2022. They finished with only 33 wins and were a game behind the last play-in spot. LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the best players on the roster, missed 68 games combined, which turned out to be fatal for the team.
After an unsuccessful campaign, the Lakers fired their head coach Frank Vogel. Even though Vogel wasn't that bad, he did not achieve a satisfying result. And for the Lakers, anything less than a championship should be a disappointment.
Fortunately, they hired a new head coach who could fix the team. As an assistant coach, Darvin Ham helped the Milwaukee Bucks win a championship last year. Next year, he will try to do the same with the Los Angeles Lakers.
LA Lakers will bounce back next season
Ham has a lot of experience as an assistant coach, although this Lakers job will be his first as a head coach. The 48-year-old will have to lead the team with James, Davis and Russell Westbrook. He will have to try to figure out a way to make the roster work.
Kendrick Perkins, a former NBA player, thinks that Ham will be successful in his head coaching job with the Lakers. Perkins believes that he will hold players accountable for their actions and that players will respect him and listen to him. Perkins said:
"If you could get a guy in there that these your superstars are going to respect and listen to, then all of a sudden you could get the best version of Anthony Davis. I'm not worried about LeBron James.
"See, Darvin Ham is going to do wonders with Anthony Davis. A former player that's not afraid to be able to get in AD's face, not afraid to hold AD accountable."
Besides these things, Perkins believes that Ham will be able to "speak that language in the locker room," which is a very important factor to him.
Perkins said:
"On the flip side of it, being able to speak that language in the locker room. I don't think people realize how important that is to this new NBA. You have to be able to speak that language in the locker room."
LA Lakers and Darvin Ham may be a great fit
The LA Lakers want to win it all and Darvin Ham knows how to get there. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons back in 2004. Furthermore, his tenure with the Bucks was also victorious.
Darvin Ham guarding 19-year-old LeBron James, November 24, 2004 https://t.co/AxLrgxw6ON
What's interesting about Ham is that his first job as an assistant coach was with the LA Lakers. He was with the team between 2011 and 2013 and worked with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard and other big names.