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Darvin Ham’s commanding personality was one of the biggest reasons why the LA Lakers hired him to replace champion coach Frank Vogel. General manager Rob Pelinka specifically mentioned that the front office was unanimous in their choice to have Ham lead the star-studded team this season.
Seven-time champion Robert Horry, on “The Crossover” podcast, asserted that Ham’s tough personality is just perfect for the Lakers. He said:
“You want someone with a voice. Darvin Ham has a great voice. Let’s take Del Harris for instance when Nick Van Exel cusses him out. You ain’t cussing Darvin Ham out! You might get 'Draymond' if you cuss Darvin Ham out.”
Horry was referring to Hall of Fame coach Del Harris, who handled the LA Lakers for five seasons from 1994-95 to 1998-99. LA was a great regular-season team during his stint in Hollywood and was a perennial presence in the playoffs.
As great a coach Harris was, he also had some trouble containing the personalities of players such as Shaquille O’Neal and Nick Van Exel. Robert Horry doesn’t see that happening with the LA Lakers with Darvin Ham at the helm.
“Coaches, this day and age, they have to command an audience, command a locker room because these guys are built different now. They look at you like, ‘What have you done in the league? What information can you tell me and provide for me?’
“I think Darvin Ham has won the championship as a coach, has won the championship as a player so he has that respect.”
The LA Lakers' job, however, is Darvin Ham’s first as a head coach. He has been an assistant coach for nine years with the Lakers, Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. The pressure and scrutiny that will hound him as he coaches LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook will be immense.
Besides the Xs and Os of the game, Ham will have to contend with the personalities of the Lakers’ main players. So far, he has been successful in dealing with James, Davis, Westbrook and Patrick Beverley. The season is long, however, and he will be tested when the going gets tough.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who spent a couple of years under Ham’s tutelage, had this to say:
“I’m so happy for him. He’s the right fit for them. He keeps it real with you. No BS at all. It’s about damn time. He deserves it more than anyone.”
Darvin Ham has been experimenting to see what works best for the LA Lakers
Darvin Ham deploying six starting units in six preseason games didn't go unnoticed. Darvin Ham wanted to test the waters early regarding the best five-man group within the LA Lakers to field in different situations.
The most significant development in Ham’s experiments has been the potential role of Anthony Davis as the starting center. AD has been very vocal about his preference to play power forward but stated that he is willing to do as asked by the coach.
Russell Westbrook has also been pushed to the second unit, a move that the new shot-caller termed a "re-alignment" instead of a "demotion." The former MVP came off the bench in the LA Lakers’ last preseason game, a 133-86 defeat against the Sacramento Kings.
It marked the first time since 2008 that “Russ” didn’t start a game.
Perhaps Darvin Ham’s upfront and commanding presence has allowed him to make these changes without pushback from two of the NBA’s highest-paid players. However, Ham has his work cut out for him and LA Nation will be desperately hoping he can live up to the hype.
