Expected at the turn by the entire NBA planet, Darvin Ham will notably have the heavy task of driver LeBron James next season. During his introductory press conference, he also revealed his main wish concerning the King.
Many have rubbed shoulders with it, some have ended up taking a liking to it. Train LeBron James may seem like the easiest job in the world, yet it comes with constant danger. Indeed, given his omnipotence in his teams, the King can initiate a dismissal as soon as he wants. It is therefore better for his coach that he gets on well with him, both humanly and tactically.
Barely appointed head of the Lakers bench, Darvin Ham therefore knows what to expect. After having seen the fate reserved for David Blatt on the side of Cleveland in 2015, the young technician had better agree with his leader if he wishes to keep his position for a long time. He has already spoken about his management during the next season, this Monday, during his first press conference in this position.
Darvin Ham wants to rest LeBron James at all costs
Very talkative and unfiltered for his first appearance in front of reporters in Los Angeles, Ham delivered his thoughts on each of the stars he should have under his command next year. If it requires on their part a very specific joint effort, each one will thus be entitled to their own expectations. In the case of LeBron, it is for example his playing time and his workload that will obviously be the subject of great attention:
Ham says his No. 1 goal is « lessen the wear and tear » on LeBron
— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) June 6, 2022
Ham says his top priority will be to ‘shrink the scale of the task’ for LeBron
So far, nothing too surprising. Indeed, LBJ is coming out of a grueling season, not only mentally, but even more physically. He thus played 37.2 minutes per game on average, his biggest use since the 2016-17 season! At 37, he obviously paid the price, with repeated injuries that deprived him of 26 games.
If he wants to be successful in his new role, Ham knows he will have to rely on a much more available and fresh LeBron. He will therefore certainly seek to delegate some of his responsibilities, including leadership. A change that could benefit a certain Russell Westbrook, who could be reborn under the orders of his new coach to believe the big speech of the latter !
Concerned about the physical freshness of LeBron James, Darvin Ham therefore affirms now that he will not wish to overexpose the King on the floor next season. A reasonable objective, which should suit the principal concerned!
