Recently appointed head of the Los Angeles Lakers, Darvin Ham recently appeared in front of the press. Mike Budenholzer’s former assistant at the Milwaukee Bucks had a message for his players. While the Californian franchise and its star-studded workforce has tended to leave defensive duties aside, the situation will change with the new staff, who have already spoken with those concerned. “The big word that came out of these discussions was: ‘sacrifice’. That was the key element. We will sacrifice ourselves, entrusted Darvin Ham. It’s not just Russell Westbrook. There will be sacrifices that LeBron James will have to make, that Anthony Davis will have to make, and all the rest of our team. I expect him to be the same tenacious and energetic player he has been throughout his career. Assuring that “a lot is happening now without him having the ball in his hands”, the new Lakers boss added that nothing will be possible “without all parties sharing this workload and depending on the each other”.
Westbrook at the heart of the project
If LeBron James or Anthony Davis were able to attract the light, Darvin Ham intends to count on Russell Westbrook next season. “Russell Westbrook is one of the best players our league has ever seen,” assured the Lakers coach. There’s still plenty in the tank. I don’t know why people try to minimize that. Affirming that he will “communicate with him” as he was able to do with all the players he had under his command, Darvin Ham intends to address the subject of “racing habits with the ball, without the ball” but also the idea of ”sharing the defensive and offensive work”. “The two parts of the field are connected. You hear regarding these offensive gurus, these defensive gurus, but both sides of the field influence each other, explained Darvin Ham. If you are able to defend very well, it will also be felt on your attack. Because you’re not going to face a defense in place. If you let the opponent score, your attack will suffer, because you will play a defense in place. If he manages to unite his players around this project, the new Lakers coach might set up a candidate team for the title.
