"There’s gonna be expectations" - Darvin Ham says LeBron James and the Lakers will be under pressure coming into next season
Head coach Darvin Ham believes the expectations of LeBron James and the LA Lakers will be high entering next season. Against all odds, the Lakers, who started the 2022-23 season 2-10, made it to the Conference finals.
They beat teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and the defending champions Golden State Warriors in the first two rounds of the playoffs to get there. The Lakers went from a team projected to barely make the play-in to a title contender in no time, thanks to the trades Rob Pelinka made at the deadline.
The Lakers added pieces that fit perfectly next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. LA also has a good chance of keeping most of the team together for next season, with the opportunity to re-sign some of these players in free agency.
Rookie coach Darvin Ham reckons the Lakers will be under duress to perform next season.
Here's what he said after LA's season ended with a series sweep loss against the Denver Nuggets on Monday:
"Coming into next year, there’s gonna be expectations with this organization as it should be and what this organization has meant to the NBA and to the world of sports as a whole... I didn’t come here to have more wins than losses, or make a playoff round 1, or make a playoff run, I came to win.”
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Darvin Ham was impressive in his first year as a head coach. He dealt brilliantly with the locker room that seemed disturbed for the better part of the season.
He was crucial in helping the Lakers figure out their identity as a hard-nosed team and rediscover their defensive intensity from their 2020 championship run.
He isn't too far from his assessment about the Lakers' expectations for next season as the franchise remains prominent and is now rightfully among the top contenders in the league.
Darvin Ham's comments overshadowed by LeBron James' cryptic message after Game 4 loss
Darvin Ham has shown great optimism around the LA Lakers for next season. However, that has been overshadowed by LeBron James' cryptic post-game comments. The four-time MVP, in his 20th year, had a remarkable season.
Making the Conference finals was out of the team's reach at the start of the year, so he did achieve respectable collective success too. However, James may have possibly hinted at retirement or departure following his post-game press conference that has sent everyone into a frenzy when talking about his future.
Here's what James said (via ESPN's Malika Andrews):
"I've got a lot to think about... Just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball, I've got a lot to think about"
LeBron James finishes his press conference with: “I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest — and just for me personally — going forward, the game of basketball… I got a lot to think about."
These comments may not support Darvin Ham's optimism surrounding the LA Lakers' hopes of competing next year. LeBron James is still very much the focal point and the key to their success, despite his age, and if he indeed plans to leave the team, this could force the Lakers brass into a highly unpredictable offseason.