“Ball don’t f*****g lie”, “AD: I’m scared”, “Our coaching staff is boutta’ bully our players into playing better” - Fans in splits over a Pistons reunion as the LA Lakers get ready to appoint Rasheed Wallace as assistant coach

Rasheed Wallace during his time with the Detroit Pistons.
Rasheed Wallace during his time with the Detroit Pistons.

The LA Lakers have established key personnel ahead of next season. The franchise appointed Darvin Ham as the head coach and have appointed Rasheed Wallace as part of Ham's coaching staff.

In the wake of this appointment, fans of the franchise couldn't help but point out the time that Wallace and Ham were teammates. The duo played for the Detroit Pistons and won the championship as teammates in 2004. Coincidentally, they beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Known for their no-nonsense approach, fans flooded Reddit and reacted to the appointment of Rasheed Wallace as the Lakers' assistant coach.


NBA Fans react to Wallace joining Darvin Ham's coaching staff

The notion is not lost on Lakers fans that having coaches like Ham and Wallace is going to enhance the roster's level of play. The players were accused of being complacent this season under former head coach Frank Vogel.

That certainly doesn't seem like it is going to be a problem with rough riders like Wallace and Ham as your coaching staff.

Another set of fans also spoke about how excited they are to see Rasheed Wallace on the bench for the LA Lakers. They are interested to see how he will get along with players like LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis.

Last but not least, former LA Lakers player Kyle Kuzma also took to Twitter to react to Wallace joining Ham's coaching staff. Kuzma wrote:

"That’s toughhhhhhhh."

Is Darvin Ham the right man for the LA Lakers?

Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton in conversation with Ham.
Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton in conversation with Ham.

For starters, the most important player on the team, LeBron James, is a massive fan of Darvin Ham. James reportedly pushed for him to be the team's head coach. This alone will hold Ham in good stead when he comes into the locker room.

Ham has worked his fingers to the bone with assistant coaching gigs for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks. He was also previously with the Lakers, too, from 2011 to 2013.

He has risen through the ranks from being a G-League coach to an NBA coach.

Over the last couple of years, Ham has been the lead assistant coach for Mike Budenholzer with the Milwaukee Bucks. He has earned a reputation for being a player's coach. As a former player, he can relate to modern NBA players in a much better way.

Having a strong personality is important when you're the head coach at a franchise like the LA Lakers. Being able to develop players is also reportedly one of the key things the franchise was looking at when hiring a head coach as they look to the future.

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