Matt Barnes credits Darvin Ham for LA Lakers turnaround: “Got Russell Westbrook to buy into his role… Wouldn’t happen with Frank Vogel”
Matt Barnes believes Darvin Ham has done an exceptional job coaching the LA Lakers and making Russell Westbrook accept a bench role. Westbrook playing as the sixth man on the team has helped the Lakers play better.
Critics didn't think Westbrook would accept the role, but Ham made that happen. Speaking about Ham's impact on the Lakers and Westbrook, Barnes said (via The LADEShow):
"I love what he's done so far. To me, the biggest thing was he got Russell Westbrook to buy into his role. That wouldn't have happened with Frank Vogel. He made sure he made a relationship with Russ.
"Phone calls, getting together, eating, letting him know how important he is to this team. F**k all this outside noise, and that's saying a lot because I feel like Russ has probably got the most disrespect."
“He got Russ to buy into his role!”
Matt Barnes says no other coach could’ve done what Darvin Ham has with Russ 💯
Agree or disagree? ⬇️ https://t.co/4IYp13ja8y
Darvin Ham was known as a player's coach. He has been exactly that in his first year as a head coach with the Lakers. He has superstars like Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis buying into his philosophies early in the season.
Despite a 2-10 start, the players continued to follow up on Ham's principles. It paid off as the Lakers have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games, improving to 10-12 for the year. Many expected Westbrook to make life difficult for any head coach in the league, let alone Ham, when he signed up for the job.
However, as Barnes mentioned, Ham built a solid relationship with Westbrook and successfully convinced him to accept a bench role. The move worked for the player and the team. Westbrook has averaged 10.3 points and 4.3 assists on 28.9% field goal shooting in three games as a starter.
Since moving to the bench, his numbers have drastically improved. He is averaging 15.3 points and 8.3 assists per game, shooting 42.3% from the field, including 34.2% from the 3-point range across 18 appearances. Meanwhile, all 10 of the LA Lakers' wins have come with Westbrook coming off the bench.
Also read: Darvin Ham reflects on Anthony Davis’ stellar form: “AD wants it, he wants to be that guy”
Darvin Ham delivering on his promise as LA Lakers make a strong comeback
Darvin Ham entered his rookie season as a head coach with plenty of optimism, despite doubts about the LA Lakers finding success with their current roster. The Lakers were off to an 0-5 start, which was later 2-10. Critics ruled out the Lakers from bouncing back and reviving their season.
However, Ham stayed positive through all the noise and believed in his team to make a strong comeback. The Lakers responded in style with an 8-2 run. It started with their two superstars, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, improving their performances.
Davis has dug into his MVP-caliber potential and has arguably been the best player in the league during this period. Across nine appearances, AD has bagged 35.3 points, 15.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, shooting 64.8% from the field.
Meanwhile, LeBron has played six games during that stretch, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists, shooting on a 48/47/80 split. Westbrook and the rest of the unit have played their roles to perfection, helping the Lakers get closer to reviving their season.
Darvin Ham's coaching deserves credit for the LA Lakers turning things around. It's never easy to keep the team's morale high after a dismal start, but the Lakers have shrugged that off and looked like playoff contenders after a long time.
Also read: Video: Coach Darvin Ham shows LA Lakers big-3’s hustle play during win against Bucks in the locker room