"LeBron is not from this planet, that’s for damn sure” – LA Lakers coach Darvin Ham speaks on team building and players' roles for the Lakers
New LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham got the opportunity to experience what it’s like to have NBA superstar LeBron James in his team. In a recent interview, Ham spoke about his experience of working James so far:
“LeBron is not from this planet, that’s for damn sure."
In the same interview, Ham was also asked about the LA Lakers’ starting lineup this season. He made it clear he was still keeping his options open:
“I’m just looking at everything man, seeing what fits. With a small lineup with Bron at four, AD at the five. A traditional lineup. We haven’t paired Russ and Pat Bev together just yet. But we’ve been throwing all types of lineups together out there.”
“You probably have to go to about three or four different lineups during the course of a game but have really two to three solid ones. But it just comes down to mixing and matching players."
Mike Trudell of “Spectrum SportsNet,” summarized Ham’s takeaways from Lakers' training camp. These included big man Anthony Davis’ passing ability, Russell Westbrook taking advantage of open space and James’ defensive rebounding ability.
Some Ham early observations:
- "LeBron is not from this planet, that's for damn sure.
- "AD's ability to pass."
- "Russ, the open spacing ... (the opponent) not being able to build a wall, him exploding into the paint."
- "LeBron's ability to defensive rebound and bring it."
Darvin Ham will look to take advantage of these strengths as the Lakers look to bounce back this season.
Darvin Ham's new look LA Lakers
Darvin Ham played in the NBA for six different teams between 1997 and 2005. During his playing career, he faced a young LeBron James four times in 2004. He's also played against James multiple times during his time as an assistant coach with the LA Lakers, Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. However, having LeBron in his team and being able to coach him is a whole different experience.
The Lakers won just 33 games and finished 11th in the Western Conference last season. During the offseason, the Lakers added young talent to their roster. They signed Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, Thomas Bryant and Damian Jones. The Lakers also added two notable veteran guards, Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder.
It will certainly be interesting to see if Ham can maximize the Lakers' new-look roster and lead the team back to the playoffs this season.
Check out Darvin Ham's full training camp interview below.