Under normal circumstances, it would be the dream job for any first-time head coach to get to coach a storied franchise with an all-time great player, but that isn’t quite the case for Darvin Ham. He has stepped into quite a difficult situation with the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James but has managed to do a decent enough job.
Ham has navigated through a rough opening stretch that saw them drop to 2-10 and while the team hasn’t fully kicked on yet, there are signs that they are trending in the right direction. While fans have had some issues with Ham’s coaching abilities in late-game situations, the top brass seems quite satisfied with the job he has done, as Ham recently revealed a conversation he had with owner Jeanie Buss after their road trip at the start of the year.
“She gave me a big hug and told me: ‘Hang in there, you’re doing a phenomenal job and things are going to get right. We’re going to start winning consistently, but Darvin, we’re totally happy with what you’re doing and you and your staff are doing an excellent job,’” Ham said. “It was cool. It was really thoughtful.”
It is great for Ham that he has the full backing of ownership and the players too seem to be supportive of him. They all probably realize that he walked into a difficult situation but things will get a lot easier for Ham by next week, as Anthony Davis is expected to return to the starting lineup. Davis has been on the sidelines for just over a month and his return will be a massive boost for Ham and LeBron.
Darvin Ham Admitted He Felt Bad For LeBron James For Having To Play Heavy Minutes In Anthony Davis’ Absence
In an ideal world, a player entering his 20th season in the NBA would see his minutes go down significantly, but LeBron James hasn’t had that luxury. James ranks in the top 10 in the league at 36.3 MPG this season as the Lakers have had to play him heavy minutes to have any chance at winning games in Davis’ absence.
Ham admitted after their game against the Sacramento Kings that he felt bad for James having to play such big minutes and said that it’s something he and his staff talk about all the time. Davis’ return should bring those minutes down a bit for LeBron and give him a much-needed breather during games.
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