Barely appointed head of the Los Angeles Lakers, Darvin Ham is already announcing the color of the role he wants to offer everyone. And obviously, there will be monobrows in the air. The coach has designated Anthony Davis as “the key” to the new Lakers project. A status of leader that will have to be assumed for AD.
The Lakers are surely the biggest disappointment of this season in the NBA. Announced as very serious favorites last summer, they finally finished in a very humiliating 11th place. A ranking that will not even allow them to participate in the Play-in. It was therefore necessary to make an important decision to revive, and the GM of the Angelinos Rob Pelinka did not hesitate to blow up his coach. Bye bye Frank Vogel, thanks for the title of 2020 but it’s time to give way. It was ultimately Darvin Ham, a former League player and Bucks assistant for the past four seasons, who was chosen for the job. And we can say that for his presentation press conference, the new coach wanted to dot the “i” on the use of everyone in his team next season. The role of Anthony Davis was notably mentioned by Monsieur Jambon, and we can say that the interior will be important next season.
” I think that he is the key. We’ve all seen what he’s capable of when he’s healthy, when he’s playing at a high level, when he’s on a good pace. We saw it in the bubble. His technique, his size, his versatility, his defensive abilities… This will be the basis of what we are going to put in place. We need him to be healthy, to be consistent, to be mentally well so that we can play once more at a champion level. »
– Darvin Ham, coach des Los Angeles Lakers during his presentation press conference
A statement that will surely please the famous monobrow, but that will also have to be confirmed on the court. As Ham recalls, AD had been nothing short of monstrous in 2019-20. A season during which he further leveled up in the Playoffs to perfectly support LeBron and win his first championship ring. Yes but now, since then, Davis has had a lot of problems linked in particular to the biggest problem of his career: the fragility of his body. Often on the sidelines due to physical problems, the former Pelicans will have played 76 games in two seasons. Too little given its importance, and it shows from an individual and collective point of view: personally, he maintained a big statistical contribution (22.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2 blocks) but with much less impact on his team and plummeting percentages behind the arc (33% in 2019-20 , 18.6% this season) as well as free throws (84.6% in 2019-20, 71.3% this season). As for the Lakers, they fell quite brutally from their throne, with a qualification in the Playoffs snatched from the Play-in followed by an inglorious elimination once morest the Suns last year, then the total rout this year. All that to say that without a big AD season, the Lakers might find themselves in danger once more next season. With a still very strong but aging LeBron James and a Russell Westbrook not really offering guarantees, a lot will depend on the interior in 2022-23. Darvin Ham has understood this well, and he is counting on a Davis in great shape to start once more.
Even in the middle of the NBA Finals, the Lakers are in the news. They want to start a new cycle following two failed seasons, and coach Darvin Ham has set a priority to restart the machine: empower Anthony Davis and put him in the right conditions so that he finally finds his best level. The first stone of a real construction site for the former assistant of the Bucks, who faces a big challenge.
Source texte : YouTube (via Los Angeles Lakers)
