Hard work paying off is a cliche that not many like to hear. While it guarantees that the work an individual will pay off, it does not dictate the time it will take for the work to show. NBA assistant coaches may feel the long duration of the grind in climbing the coaching ranks of professional basketball, and Darvin Ham was in that category until the Los Angeles Lakers hired him over the summer.
Since his hire, Ham has proven to make immediate changes to a franchise that wants to win as fast as possible.
When former Detroit Pistons champion guard and current Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was asked by Spectrum SportsNet’s Mike Trudell about his former teammate in Ham being hired for the Lakers, he had nothing but positive praise and relief for his long-time friend to reach his pinnacle in the coaching realm:
Chauncey Billups on former teammate Darvin Ham: “When they hired him, I was like, it’s about time. He’s put in his work, worked for a lot of great coaches. He’s a great leader. When he says something, you took heed to it. It always came from the right place, not (about him).”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 23, 2022
Not only do friends of Ham speak up on his successful climb to being a first-year head coach, but his superstar players like Anthony Davis confirm him being the right man for the job in implementing a new system and turning the team around.
With the emotions of Ham launching his head coaching career aside, he and the Lakers can come together and focus to get L.A out of a winless start to their regular season.
Ham preferred Westbrook go to rim instead of settle for jump against Trail Blazers
The Lakers faithful do not want to relive the shot Russell Westbrook took at the end of Sunday afternoon’s game against the Trail Blazers. With 27 seconds left in the game, and 18 seconds on the shot clock, Westbrook hoisted up a mid-range jumper that rimmed out.
While the 2017 Most Valuable Player award winner is well and capable of making that shot, it was not the smart basketball decision down the stretch of that game with his team leading.
During the Lakers postgame interview when Ham was asked about Westbrook’s shot selection in that crucial period of the game, he stated his preference was for the 6-foot-3-inch point guard to cut to the basket for a layup as opposed to settling for a jumper.
As the Lakers look to bounce back from their 0-3 start during the first week of basketball, the accountability Ham has set in place within the organization can give Lakers fans assurance knowing that the Purple and Gold will maximize their time in the film room before their next game to fix their offensive miscues to avoid it happening again.
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