NBA Rumors: Incorporating 9x All-Star into the system alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis one of LA Lakers' newly appointed coach Darvin Ham’s most important directives
The LA Lakers have hired Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham to replace Frank Vogel as the team's new head coach. Ham signed a four-year deal to return to LA, where he worked as an assistant coach between 2011 and 2013.
According to NBA rumors, the LA Lakers had asked all their candidates how they would use Russell Westbrook in their system. They are looking at the possibility of running it back with their current lineup under a new head coach.
As per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, incorporating Westbrook into the system alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis is one of Darvin Ham's most important directives.
"Ham will be charged with returning the Lakers to the postseason after a disastrous 33-49 season that cost Frank Vogel his job," wrote Wojnarowski. "One of Ham's most important directives: finding a way to incorporate future Hall of Fame guard Russell Westbrook into the franchise's framework with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It was a significant subject of every Lakers coaching interview in the process, sources said."
ESPN story on the Los Angeles Lakers hiring Darvin Ham on a four-deal as the franchise's new coach: es.pn/3PKqNP1
Can the LA Lakers make it work with Russell Westbrook under new head coach Darvin Ham?
Darvin Ham joins the LA Lakers in a tricky situation this off-season. The team lacks the resources to retool the roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and their current lineup doesn't have the best balance. LA still has some of the biggest names, though.
James, Davis and Westbrook never played together for a stretch, which hampered LA's chances of fighting for the top spot in the Western Conference. On top of that, Frank Vogel and his staff struggled to integrate Westbrook into his system.
That is where Darvin Ham can come in and find a way to help Westbrook play efficiently. The former Bucks assistant coach has experience coaching star players and is also known for his straightforward approach and toughness.
Ham made a strong impression on Lakers in several areas, including his championship pedigree, his commanding presence, history of coaching stars and toughness. Ham will start assembling a staff expected to include head coaching experience. twitter.com/wojespn/status…
Meanwhile, Westbrook's performance improved towards the end of the season. He averaged 22.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, shooting an impressive 52% from the field, including 41.5% from the 3-point range across his last ten league appearances.
His turnovers were also significantly reduced to just around three per game. If the LA Lakers can find younger players to surround their big three, they certainly have the potential to be legitimate contenders, especially with LeBron James still firing on all cylinders.