Darvin Ham was appointed as the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers while the playoffs were still going on, and so far, he has seemed like a breath of fresh air. Ham has addressed the issues surrounding Russell Westbrook candidly and competently, instantly making himself a likable figure, and he is now doing so in the case of Anthony Davis as well.
Davis was widely considered a Top 5 player in the league when he came to the Lakers. He validated that in the Bubble with dominant displays to help LA win another title, but has failed to replicate it since. And the man he was compared to during that time, Giannis Antetokounmpo has since surpassed him and become arguably the best player in the world, winning a title with the Milwaukee Bucks as the main star.
Ham was asked about the comparison between Giannis and AD and where the situation stands now on the Dan Patrick Show and he gave an eloquent answer as to what has been the issue for AD and what he has to do to get back into the conversation.
“The element of injury. When you’re not able to stay healthy, it stunts your growth… The key for him has always been to have him available. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the top 5, 7 players in our league. The biggest thing with that is again, lightening the load.”
Ham was an assistant in Milwaukee for the last 4 seasons, which coincided with the Greek Freak’s rise to the top. So if anyone knows what it takes firsthand, it’s Ham. The Laker faithful will be hoping that he can get Davis back to that level as well, although AD will have to figure out a way to stay healthy with the training staff as well.
