According to various sources, the Lakers have signed Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as their new head coach. Read the article for this NBA News.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Ham had a formal interview on Thursday. He was given the job by Los Angeles on Friday afternoon. Darvin Ham made a great impression on the Lakers’ brass in multiple ways, according to Wojnarowski. It includes his championship credentials, authoritative appearance, and experience with coaching stars.
It’s expected that Ham will start putting together a coaching team that includes head coaching expertise.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Ham will sign a four-year contract. Ham will now take over as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time. The 48-year-old has worked as a professional assistant and coached in Los Angeles from 2011 to 2013.
Since then, Ham has spent time with the Hawks (2013-’18) and the Bucks (2013-’18). He helped the team win an NBA title last season. Ham also won a championship with the Pistons in 2004, the peak of an eight-year NBA career.
With a starting lineup that includes three future Hall-of-Famers in Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James, Ham will have his work cut out for him.
NBA News: The future of Lakers
Under former coach Frank Vogel, the Lakers went 33–49 and missed the playoffs this season, despite having three future Hall-of-Famers in Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James.
Finding a method to better incorporate Westbrook on both ends of the court will be one of Ham’s first challenges as a coach. Westbrook failed to gel with James and Davis in his debut season with the Lakers after being acquired through trade last offseason.
His problems as a new member of the squad, as well as injuries to key rotation members, were cited as major reasons for the Lakers’ failure to meet expectations in 2021-’22.
Lakers will seek to turn the page and find a way to be more competitive next season, despite the fact that personnel changes are likely this offseason. The Lakers’ hire of Ham is the first step in achieving that goal.
Lakers finished 33-49 last season, which was a big letdown given that the team had assembled a “Big Three” by bringing in guard Russell Westbrook to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
James has already sent a warm welcome to Ham on social media. “I’m so freaking pumped!!!!!!!!” James sent out a tweet. “Congratulations and welcome to the team, Coach DHam!!”
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