“He is presenting himself as the sheriff of this town” - Skip Bayless says Darvin Ham doesn’t know what’s about to hit him
LA Lakers guard Russell Westbrook has a reputation of being uncoachable. New coach Darvin Ham, however, believes he can help Westbrook right the ship in LA. FS1's Skip Bayless said Ham could be in over his head with his strict management plans. The squad has multiple leading role players who may not listen to the first-year coach.
“He is presenting himself as the sheriff of this town. … I don’t think he gets what is about to hit him right between the eyes," Bayless said.
Darvin Ham reportedly won't hesitate to bench Lakers players if they fail to embrace new roles:
"Darvin is presenting himself as the new sheriff in town, but I don't think he got this. I don't think he gets what's about to hit him between the eyes." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/GNCHDVLJtd
The LA Lakers were supposed to have a great run last season after adding Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. Yet, the season was a disappointment, resulting in coach Frank Vogel's dismissal.
The Lakers replaced Vogel with Darvin Ham. Ham believes he can lift this squad back to greatness. Skip Bayless does not buy the attitude and believes that Ham is in over his head.
“LeBron is LeBron. He has earned the right to be a diva … He’s still the face of the franchise and the face of the league," Bayless said. "And AD is a multiple time All-Star, and he’s gonna play in his own world. And now you gotta deal with a Russ.”
Can Darvin Ham coach the Lakers back to success?
Managing LeBron James is difficult because a player of his caliber usually manages the coach. Regardless of not being a coach, James has significant influence over LA’s decisions. Ham is going to have to accept that.
Anthony Davis has developed his style of game and runs it well. He is a multiple-time All-Star and one-time champion.
There is also Russell Westbrook’s poor ball handling last season. Westbrook’s turnover rate was 3.8, the lowest since 2014 in Oklahoma City. However, analysts criticized his off-tempo mistakes throughout the season.
Darvin Ham has explained new plans for the squad that could improve the team this season. Ham plans to keep Westbrook off the ball, utilizing his speed with LeBron controlling the floor as much as possible.
Westbrook playing off the ball sounds more strategic than what the Lakers ran last year. However, Darvin Ham may not be able to contain Westbrook in this plan.
The Lakers have given Darvin Ham full control over benching players whenever he sees fit. So, Ham will have to deal with the repercussions of micromanaging Westbrook. Westbrook has proven uncoachable throughout his career. Until now, the results were enough to excuse the style of play. Going forward, that won't be the case.