At this point, no one knows how good an NBA head coach Darvin Ham will be, especially when it comes to being a tactician or making game-to-game adjustments.
But he has received universal praise for his leadership and communication skills. It’s an aspect the Los Angeles Lakers sorely needed from their head coach, especially after players reportedly tuned out Ham’s predecessor, Frank Vogel, last season.
Unlike Vogel, Ham is a former NBA player who spent eight seasons with several teams, including the 2004 champion Detroit Pistons.
One of his teammates there, Ben Wallace, says Ham is the type of man who commands respect and trust from his players.
Via Lakers Daily:
“TMZ Sports recently spoke with the Hall of Famer. When asked if he thinks Ham will turn the Lakers in the right direction, Wallace answered in the affirmative.
“‘I think so,’ said Wallace. ‘Knowing Darvin, I know he’s a great locker room guy, and I think the guys are really going to rally around him, and I think his message is gonna be on point for that team. I think it’s just a matter of them buying into system and just going out there and play basketball. You can look at the team and tell they built to win.'”
Ham is building L.A.’s culture around defense, an up-tempo offense, sacrifice and accountability. By all accounts, everyone has been complying over the past several days during training camp.
As a result, there is a different vibe surrounding this Lakers team than last season.
They may not win the championship in June, but they will likely be much more competitive and harmonious this time around.
