The Complex Role of Darvin Ham as Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers

The role of a coach is always complicated. Victories usually go to the players, while in defeats those who are designated are those who are part of the coaching staff. It has a certain logic: after all, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley or Gregg Popovich are very specific, unique and unprecedented characters. An intrinsic part of the history of an NBA that belongs to the stars on the court. That’s why Darvin Ham has always had a complex job, especially since he left the Bucks, where he was Mike Budenholzer’s assistant, to join the Lakers, coach LeBron James and be responsible for the biggest franchise in history. . An immense market and 17 rings are behind the Los Angeles entity, which will always make headlines. When things are going well and, above all, when they are not going so well.

Ham was going to be in the eye of the hurricane from the first minute. Subjected to constant scrutiny, to analysis, to the media circle that always surrounds some Lakers who are very comfortable in it. He came to replace a coach who had been fired (Frank Vogel), who in turn had arrived for the same reason (the departure of Luke Walton) and who did not win the 2020 title in the Orlando bubble. To a very specific idiosyncrasy, very much belonging to the aura and approval of an empowered player, leader of an era like LeBron. But also a complicated structure since Jeannie Buss won her particular game of thrones against her brothers and took over the team that her father took to the top to exercise a mandate that from the outside seems influenceable. Phil Jackson, his ex-partner, seems to have an opinion on everything despite being retired from the bench and public life. And Kurt and Linda Rambis show up whenever things go wrong. For whatever reason.

Ham and LeBron greet each other.Kyle TeradaUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters With

Ham’s first merit is having escaped the clutches of these people. And not having received bad opinions from that sector that never has good ones. Of course, his path has never been easy: he started 2-10 in his first season and things didn’t work out until Russell Westbrook, a blunder by the board that had the approval of LeBron and Anthony Davis, left. Before, he convinced him to come off the bench, something that was unthinkable for the point guard at the time. Ham, greatly questioned by the meaning of his rotations, often incomprehensible, was saved. After the All Star, the Lakers achieved a 16-7 record, achieved half of those victories with LeBron injured, went to 43-39 and reached seventh place in the Western Conference, also managing to win in the play in a the Timberwolves by miracle and reach spectacular physical shape for the playoffs.

There we began to see some of Ham’s virtues: physicality, determination, rebounding, good defensive approaches and simplicity, but effectiveness in attack. He entrenched himself at home, where the Lakers did not lose in the first two rounds, he attacked Stephen Curry ad nauseam to take advantage of the problems on that side of the court that the star usually has and wear him down in the face of the attack. He introduced Lonnie Walker into the rotation when he had to, he took Jarred Vanderbilt out of the starting lineup, he switched the defense around first Ja Morant and then Curry; He became strong in his virtues and minimized his defects, removing D’Angelo Russell from the court at specific moments, when he was most burned and the shots were not coming in, something very common in a player where the best and the worst come together at the same time. worse. And he took advantage of the wisdom of LeBron, who played with an injured foot, to win the game against one of the greatest, a Steve Kerr who ran out of ideas against a team that was simply better. It was the end of an era and the King emerged the winner.

The season ended with a bittersweet taste, a 4-0 against the Nuggets, then champions, which tasted little after the revolution achieved. And, at the beginning of this season, the criticism has returned for Ham: mess with rotations, hands permanently in pockets, poor management of LeBron’s minutes (in his 21st season and almost 39 years old), inexplicable defeats and too much playing time for Russell. But the coach has ignored Twitter (well, X) and public opinion, he has not let himself be intimidated and has remained firm. The reality is that the squad has had many injuries and the calendar has been complex, due to rivals and kilometers traveled. The NBA Cup was the King’s ambition and it has been won. Along the way, Ham recovered troops and adjusted by putting Austin Reaves (who started the season badly) on the bench. One more success.

Ham gives instructions to his players during the In-Season final. ALLISON DINNEREF

The final of the In-Season Tournament (which the Lakers finished 7-0) has exemplified Ham’s good head. They were not going to beat the Pacers with three-pointers but by punishing the zone, and the Angelenos have only attempted 13 shots from the outside. Adjusting according to the rival, they have supplied Anthony Davis with balls and have adjusted back, defending well the rival’s three attempts (10 of 41) and assuming that they were not going to be able to stop what Tyrese Haliburton generates, who had to be left in few points (20 at the end) by isolating him. Something totally different from the approach used against the Pelicans, where physical power wore down Zion Williamson. All of this is partly thanks to Ham, always well advised by Phil Handy and his activity on the bench, in contrast to the tranquility conveyed by the head coach. The greatest have always done that. The thing about hands in pockets is another matter.

Ham is going to continue to be controversial even though the Lakers do nothing but win. They are fifth in the Western Conference (14-9), tied with the Nuggets (fourth) and the Mavericks (third). And just one victory away from the Thunder. Further away are the Timberwolves (17-4), intractable. The victory in the NBA Cup, in its first edition, has shown that it has solutions for big moments and that its approaches can be very good, especially in defense. Of course, he will be the recipient of criticism on a sustained and permanent basis and his future, like that of the Lakers, will depend on LeBron James’ physique. For the rest, he seems like a playoff coach more than a regular season coach, something better than being one in the opposite sense (like Mike Brown, Mike D’Antoni, Mike Budenholzer…). A character with a difficult role, but who has earned the respect of the King and the right to live rather than survive. Angel or demon? Maybe it’s neither of those things. Or both at the same time. What difference does it make.

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2023-12-11 05:19:00
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