“He’s a slam dunk coach of the year…I felt sorry for LeBron James” – NBA analyst speculates over Russell Westbrook flourishing in Lakers system, says Ham should win Coach of the Year if he could make team work
Heading into last season, how Russell Westbrook would perform for the Lakers was one of the biggest questions. After parting ways with multiple depth pieces to bring in the former MVP, things did not pan out how they might have hoped.
There are many reasons why the Lakers didn't make the playoffs last year, and this awkward fit was one of them. The All-Star point guard posted his lowest numbers in years, and his fit alongside LeBron James was questionable at best.
From the moment LA made the deal for Westbrook, many doubted if it would work. As a ball-dominant guard and below-average shooter, his style of play didn't complement LeBron.
Despite how things went down last year, new Lakers coach Darvin Ham is confident he'll be able to make things work going forward. Following his vote of confidence, one analyst thinks he should be in line for league-wide recognition if he comes up with a solution.
On a recent episode of FS1's "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," Skip Bayless sounded off on Ham. Bayless believes Ham should be the runaway for Coach of the Year if he can solve the Lakers' issues regarding their big three:
"If he makes this work with Russ as a starter and a finisher. Where he plays through the fourth quarters, and your team wins 50 odd games ... he is a slam dunk Coach of the Year. ...
"Russell Westbrook was an unmitigated, indefensiveable disaster last year. At an epic level that nobody can defend. ... I felt sorry for LeBron James"
Darvin Ham: Russ "will thrive in Lakers 4-out, 1-in system"
"If Darvin Ham is right about Russ thriving in his system, makes it work with him being a starter and a finisher, I guarantee Darvin will be Coach of the Year." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/QF18P2I3jh
Darvin Ham is fighting uphill battle as he attempts to make Russell Westbrook fit on the Lakers
Skip Bayless is not wrong. If Darvin Ham can somehow turn Westbrook into a contributing player for the Lakers, he should be in the running for Coach of the Year.
While the first-year coach is coming in with the right attitude, he is fighting an uphill battle. After seeing how Russell Westbrook performed last year, it seems doubtful that any changes could be made at this point.
The main problem for the Lakers is that the days of "Mr. Triple Double" are probably over. More notably, they have a star player on their roster who can't admit that he is past his prime.
In some cases, star players are able to catch a second wind in their career because they are able to adapt. That is not the situation the Lakers have on their hands right now.
If Ham wants any shot at starting his LA tenure off on the right foot, he will need to connect with Westbrook. Ham would need to get Russell Westbrook to change his ways for the betterment of the team.