Newly-hired Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is earning high praise from those who know him, according to Broderick Turner and Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.
Ham, who was a Lakers assistant coach from 2011-13 and won a title against L.A. as a player on the Pistons in 2004, has served as an assistant under head coach Mike Budenholzer with the Hawks and Bucks for the past nine seasons. The Bucks won the 2021 NBA championship with Ham on Budenholzer’s staff.
“His work ethic in practice and when we put him in the game, he always seemed to deliver,” former Knicks head coach and current Indiana University coach Mike Woodson said of Ham. “So, you knew that the fact he got into coaching, I knew it would work because that’s a big part of being a good coach. You got to work.”
Metta Sandiford-Artest, who played on the Lakers teams where Ham first cut his coaching teeth as a development assistant under Mike Brown, also had high praise for Ham. “He definitely understands modern basketball,” Sandiford-Artest said. “He also is capable of communicating in a way where you can receive it the right way.”
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers held workouts on Saturday for six NBA hopefuls, per Matthew Barrero of Lakers.com. Baylor guard James Akinjo, Connecticut guard Tyrese Martin, Syracuse forward Cole Swider, USC guard Drew Peterson, Texas A&M guard Quenton Jackson, and Alabama guard Keon Ellis all got a look from the L.A. front office brass. Though Los Angeles does not possess a draft pick this season, the team could trade into the second round or sign an undrafted rookie as a free agent. “There is a good side to it if you’re able to choose your team,” Ellis said. “Even if it happens to be myself, you can’t get too down on it or overthink it. There’s been guys who have gone undrafted and come back with great stories.”
- The Kings, who possess the fourth pick in the 2022 draft, had at least two key representatives take a look at several high-level prospects during recent pro day workouts in Southern California, writes Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. Team owner Vivek Ranadive and GM Monte McNair attended a CAA pro day workout for Purdue shooting guard Jaden Ivey and Duke small forward AJ Griffin. McNair attended an additional pro day with another top-10-level player, Arizona shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin, Anderson notes, examining the potential fit of each player.
- Injured Warriors role players Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala will be gradually included in team practices ahead of the 2022 NBA Finals this week as they continue to recuperate from their respective ailments, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). The club has leaned on 2021 lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody for help in the absence of Payton, Porter and Iguodala.
Lakers are the only lottery team that does not have draft pick this year
It seems to me that Lakers are trying to buy a 2nd round pick or trade for the 1st round pick.
The Lakers, Suns and Jazz don’t have any NBA draft picks at the moment (and will be joined by either the Nets or 76ers depending on the first-round pick).
Lol at quoting Metta Sandiford-Artest (formerly Metta World Peace and before that Ron Artest).
What’s he doing these days?
Everytime Artest speaks he has a different name
I know many are gonna post the following so I’ll be the first…He is literally the player to be named later.
Are you jealous of him for that?
With the 4th pick the Sacramento Kings select ………
I think they go for the HR here. Take Shaedon Sharpe unless some team makes them an offer they can’t refuse. This will be best news for Pistons. Cause they take the player they want most Jaden Ivey.
Load management = healthy roster = strong defense = offensive opportunity.
Ham sammich time.
More minutes for longer rotation, deeper team. Big changes or not, the next new players can’t fix weak coaching.
Ham sammich time.
Darvin: Crack the Code.
The coaching tree of coach Bud is impressive
4 current coaches were on the Hawks staff, including Bud
Udoka, Kerr, Marks, Johnson, Bud, Parker… Popovich is the grandaddy of good vibes and great pros. I barely scratched the surface. And Pop’s pipeline of NBA ambassadors is going to run decades deep. Good people seek good people. Riley has done well himself. Good people and good vibes is what NBA is all about. The game is more fun with good people. Your local court or on TV.