The news broke on Friday that the Lakers had chosen Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as their new head coach. Ham was granted some power before he accepted the job on a four-year contract.
He’ll will be given a large amount of autonomy, including the ability to choose his own coaching staff, Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times report. To that end, he’ll meet with current Lakers staff members next week.
Ham sold the Lakers’ brass with his ability to communicate and hold people accountable. They were so impressed by Ham that they passed over a planned interview with Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and offered the Bucks assistant the job. Former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts, the other finalist, was interviewed earlier in the week.
We have more on the Lakers’ coaching move:
- Although Ham has never been a head coach, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer gave him wide-ranging responsibilities to prepare him for a head coaching position, Jim Alexander of the Orange County Register writes. The fact that he has worked with Kobe Bryant and Giannis Antetokounmpo during his coaching career should suit him well on a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
- Speaking of Milwaukee’s two-time Most Valuable Player, Antetokounmpo told ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski that the Lakers made the right choice (Twitter link). “I’m so happy for him. He’s the right fit for them,” Giannis said of Ham. “He keeps it real with you. No BS at all. It’s about damn time. He deserves it more than anyone.”
- Hiring someone with no head coaching experience to take over the Lakers might seem a little nuts but it could work out perfectly, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times opines. Plaschke notes that the Celtics reached the conference finals under first-year head coach Ime Udoka and the Pelicans are on the upswing with Willie Green. However, Ham will have a lot of difficult issues to fix, including the usage of Russell Westbrook.
- The Lakers hired the best available candidate, Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes. Ham is a defensive-minded tactician who helped develop the Bucks’ championship defensive scheme. Rather than hiring a retread, they decided to step outside of their comfort zone and give a top assistant a chance to run the show.
Well, this should put the bed finally
Doc Rivers is NOT going to LA
Good, because I want him to finish the job in Philly for better or for worse.
Actually the first good move Lakers have made since they acquired LeBron and AD.
Its going to be a tough job for him or anyone that would be coaching the Lakers. First order of business he needs to be very strict and not give one inch to the players. let them know he is the boss. He inherited Westbrook who they can’t trade so he should be telling him to get in the gym everyday and practice shooting the ball. Good thing is he is a defensive coach is what they need.
Concur with your comment. Would add that Klutch/Rich Paul is something that he needs to pay attention to. Granted that is something the front office/ownership should be squashing, but history has proven that’s not a strength of the Lakers management.
I think his ‘autonomy’ will be tested as soon as he tells Westbrook he is going to run the second unit…
May just tell him he’s nott to bring the ball upcourt. Supposedly that non-instruction got Vogel off to the wrong foot with him.
Ham finally got his payday! Congrats.
Breaking News Darvin Ham is on the hot seat
Autonomy is great, but, more important, since it can’t be absolute, is the chain of command. Hopefully, he knows who is hired him (who made the decision, not merely approved it), he will answer, day to day, to that person, and only that person, at least directly, can fire him. That’s usually a healthier situation than dealing with a “brass” collectively.
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