The Los Angeles Lakers decided to part ways with former head coach Frank Vogel after a disastrous 2021-22 season.
To replace Vogel, the organization hired Darvin Ham, giving the 49-year-old his first opportunity as a head coach in the NBA.
Ham spent many years as an assistant coach in the NBA before being hired by L.A. earlier this year.
With the 2022-23 NBA campaign approaching, Ham is looking to make a strong impression in his first season as a head coach, and it seems like a lot of people around the NBA believe in him.
NBA GMs were recently surveyed on a number of topics, with one of them being this:
“Which new or relocated head coach will make the biggest impact on his new team?”
Per NBA.com, Ham received a ton of support from GMs on that particular topic, with 48 percent of respondents picking him:
“1. Darvin Ham, L.A. Lakers – 48%
“2. Mike Brown, Sacramento – 31%
“3. Steve Clifford, Charlotte – 17%
“4. Will Hardy, Utah – 3%”
Without a doubt, it’s a positive sign for Ham and the Lakers that people around the league are high on him.
A Tough Road Ahead
While it’s great that NBA GMs are high on Ham, the first-year head coach has his work cut out for him with the Lakers.
After two straight disappointing seasons for Los Angeles, fans are getting restless, and the team is certainly dealing with some pressure going into the 2022-23 campaign.
Moreover, while L.A.’s roster has no shortage of talent, it’s full of awkward fits and question marks.
It’s going to be on Ham to sort all of that out, which isn’t exactly an enviable task.
Of course, the biggest challenge remains figuring out a productive way to use Russell Westbrook.
Unless he improves as a defender and shooter, it’s going to be tough for him to share the floor with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
He’d probably be a productive player in L.A.’s second unit, but it’s unclear how likely it is that the veteran ends up being a bench player.
One thing that’s clear is that Ham is a huge believer in Westbrook.
Just yesterday, Ham showed major support for the nine-time All-Star.
Darvin Ham on Russell Westbrook: “He’s ours. We love him. And we want him to do well. … It’s been a great camp for him.”
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 4, 2022
The Lakers coach will surely do everything he can to use Westbrook in a way that works for all involved parties.
It’s worth noting that Westbrook’s fit is far from the only thing Ham has on his plate.
Ham is also focused on turning the Lakers into an improved defensive squad, which is crucial since defense was a huge weakness for L.A. last season.
First look at Darvin Ham's Laker defense was promising. PatBev & AD (guarding Chicago action here) are going to be a good defensive combo. Nice stunt by Westbrook too. pic.twitter.com/qmiNyU7GY5
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) October 4, 2022
The team allowed 115.1 points per game last season, which was tied for the 27th-worst mark in the NBA.
Another thing on Ham’s radar is the health of his stars.
Last season, James and Davis missed time, and as a result, the team never really got a chance to jell.
The hope is that won’t be the case again this season.
Ham’s first regular season game with the Lakers will come on Oct. 18 against the Golden State Warriors.
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