Darvin Ham hired as coach. update: Sheed Wallace not joining

[Landsberger]

Darvin Ham might be the most Athletic Former NBA player that have ever coach an NBA team.
https://youtu.be/pz-BSup2I-c
great coaches like Pops, Spoelstra, JVG etc have actually didn't even play in the NBA as far as I know.
Phil, Riley were role players, add Ime Ukoka, Kerr is more of a specialist/shooter.
Magic tried but failed. Bird was un-athletic and also heavily relied on another ex role player Rick Carlisle to run the Pacers before.
Drexler bombed his stint Coaching Houston U, with under 33% record, lasted 2 years. I can't help but wonder why athletic guys like TMac, Carter, MJ, Worthy, Dominique Wilkins etc etc etc never tried coaching. Were they smart enough to teach, strategize etc?
Hopefully, as a Lakers fan, Darvin would be the exception.

What's the point you're trying to make? Athleticism in your playing days somehow relates to coaching ability?

I have no idea what you mean by Bird being non-athletic. Is that a White Guy thing? In comparison to his peers at the time he was absolutely dominant in every aspect of the game. So what if he didn't dunk in peoples face....

Most of the best athletes to play the game fail after the first few years. Fundamentals are the key to being the best at the NBA level.

[Hoopz Afrik]

Darvin Ham was a Klutch hire... He's perfect for them. I'm sure they figure they can mold him into the ideal coach for their clients...

And he may be fundamentally a good coach... But that doesn't matter on this team because he has no real gravitas and will have no real authority in a room filled with the likes of LeBron, Ad, Westbrook and whoever else they decide they want to play with...

So it's whatever...

If next season is a success or another disaster, it'll have little to do with him... Which is what I felt about Vogel too...

Quite the pessimist

[Kilroy]

Darvin Ham was a Klutch hire... He's perfect for them. I'm sure they figure they can mold him into the ideal coach for their clients...

And he may be fundamentally a good coach... But that doesn't matter on this team because he has no real gravitas and will have no real authority in a room filled with the likes of LeBron, Ad, Westbrook and whoever else they decide they want to play with...

So it's whatever...

If next season is a success or another disaster, it'll have little to do with him... Which is what I felt about Vogel too...

Quite the pessimist

There's a difference between being a pessimist and being pessimistic about a given situation... Be honest... Do you think Darvin Hamm can turn LeBron/AD/Westbrook into a championship team? (Note: Your answer will allow me to label you... for example: optimist, delusional, etc)

[Hoopz Afrik]

Darvin Ham was a Klutch hire... He's perfect for them. I'm sure they figure they can mold him into the ideal coach for their clients...

And he may be fundamentally a good coach... But that doesn't matter on this team because he has no real gravitas and will have no real authority in a room filled with the likes of LeBron, Ad, Westbrook and whoever else they decide they want to play with...

So it's whatever...

If next season is a success or another disaster, it'll have little to do with him... Which is what I felt about Vogel too...

Quite the pessimist

There's a difference between being a pessimist and being pessimistic about a given situation... Be honest... Do you think Darvin Hamm can turn LeBron/AD/Westbrook into a championship team? (Note: Your answer will allow me to label you... for example: optimist, delusional, etc)

I disagree on the 'no real gravitas or real authority' part. I know we don't have much reason to have faith in the front office and the Klutch Mafia but I do think things can and will improve. Now there's still a lot to get done roster-wise and without a roster facelift, the Lakeshow doesn't make it past the 2nd round at best. But are far as the Darvin Ham hire is concerned, it feels akin to Ime Udoka finally getting his shot with the Celtics. First-time head coaches are impossible to predict but I'm going to give it the benefit of doubt for the time being.

[sonnyhill]

Quite the pessimist

There's a difference between being a pessimist and being pessimistic about a given situation... Be honest... Do you think Darvin Hamm can turn LeBron/AD/Westbrook into a championship team? (Note: Your answer will allow me to label you... for example: optimist, delusional, etc)

I disagree on the 'no real gravitas or real authority' part. I know we don't have much reason to have faith in the front office and the Klutch Mafia but I do think things can and will improve. Now there's still a lot to get done roster-wise and without a roster facelift, the Lakeshow doesn't make it past the 2nd round at best. But are far as the Darvin Ham hire is concerned, it feels akin to Ime Udoka finally getting his shot with the Celtics. First-time head coaches are impossible to predict but I'm going to give it the benefit of doubt for the time being.

Kilroy is correct in taking a "realist" perspective on the current state of affairs with the Lakers.

The hiring of Ham, in itself, is fine. However, with the current construction of the roster built around an aging LeBron, a fragile AD, and a ball dominant Westbrook, it will take more than "hope" for the team to improve.

Phil's recommendation to trade away LeBron and build around Westbrook for one season and whatever assets the team can get back in a LeBron trade would give Ham the latitude to reset team culture and install his brand of basketball on this team. I just do not know what the Lakers could realistically get in return for LeBron. Also, is Phil advocating having AD return to the roster, too? In many ways it would be better to trade away both LeBron and AD and really do a hard reset; yet, is this even viable given LeBron's age and AD's physical fragility?

Also, with Ham being a Klutch guy, does Pelinka have the OK to trade away Klutch players? If not, should Jeanie finally just give the Axe to Pelinka and replace him with Rich Paul and truly go all-in with Klutch? Think about it...LeBron, AD; Coach Ham; Front Office of Rich Paul and Randy Mims, true Klutch-Laker vertical integration.

Lots of questions going into this off-season, and the Ham hiring may pose more questions than answers to questions.

[tamaraw08]

Darvin Ham might be the most Athletic Former NBA player that have ever coach an NBA team.
https://youtu.be/pz-BSup2I-c
great coaches like Pops, Spoelstra, JVG etc have actually didn't even play in the NBA as far as I know.
Phil, Riley were role players, add Ime Ukoka, Kerr is more of a specialist/shooter.
Magic tried but failed. Bird was un-athletic and also heavily relied on another ex role player Rick Carlisle to run the Pacers before.
Drexler bombed his stint Coaching Houston U, with under 33% record, lasted 2 years. I can't help but wonder why athletic guys like TMac, Carter, MJ, Worthy, Dominique Wilkins etc etc etc never tried coaching. Were they smart enough to teach, strategize etc?
Hopefully, as a Lakers fan, Darvin would be the exception.

What's the point you're trying to make? Athleticism in your playing days somehow relates to coaching ability?

I have no idea what you mean by Bird being non-athletic. Is that a White Guy thing? In comparison to his peers at the time he was absolutely dominant in every aspect of the game. So what if he didn't dunk in peoples face....

Most of the best athletes to play the game fail after the first few years. Fundamentals are the key to being the best at the NBA level.

Bird didn’t have a high vertical leap so he relied on his skills and wit. My point was athletic players usually rely heavily on their athleticism unlike slower players who can’t jump high who had the study the game more intently,

[tamaraw08]

Darvin Ham might be the most Athletic Former NBA player that have ever coach an NBA team.
https://youtu.be/pz-BSup2I-c
great coaches like Pops, Spoelstra, JVG etc have actually didn't even play in the NBA as far as I know.
Phil, Riley were role players, add Ime Ukoka, Kerr is more of a specialist/shooter.
Magic tried but failed. Bird was un-athletic and also heavily relied on another ex role player Rick Carlisle to run the Pacers before.
Drexler bombed his stint Coaching Houston U, with under 33% record, lasted 2 years. I can't help but wonder why athletic guys like TMac, Carter, MJ, Worthy, Dominique Wilkins etc etc etc never tried coaching. Were they smart enough to teach, strategize etc?
Hopefully, as a Lakers fan, Darvin would be the exception.

What's the point you're trying to make? Athleticism in your playing days somehow relates to coaching ability?

I have no idea what you mean by Bird being non-athletic. Is that a White Guy thing? In comparison to his peers at the time he was absolutely dominant in every aspect of the game. So what if he didn't dunk in peoples face....

Most of the best athletes to play the game fail after the first few years. Fundamentals are the key to being the best at the NBA level.

Bird didn’t have a high vertical leap so he relied on his skills and wit. My point was athletic players usually rely heavily on their athleticism unlike slower players who can’t jump high who had the study the game more intently,

I read Riley’s book , how he spent countless hours trying to design defensive schemes etc, I can’t see MJ or Wilkins having that work ethic to study the nuances of the game, Kobe was an outlier of course. Hopefully too, Ham is an exception.

[stan francisco]

Welcome Darvin!

Does this mean that the poster Phil 2.0 will now be ‘Darvin’?

[stan francisco]

And, as a nice first move he gets assurances Rambis won’t be in any coaching meetings.

Feeling bad for Frank.

[Beethoven]

Darvin Ham was a Klutch hire... He's perfect for them. I'm sure they figure they can mold him into the ideal coach for their clients...

And he may be fundamentally a good coach... But that doesn't matter on this team because he has no real gravitas and will have no real authority in a room filled with the likes of LeBron, Ad, Westbrook and whoever else they decide they want to play with...

So it's whatever...

If next season is a success or another disaster, it'll have little to do with him... Which is what I felt about Vogel too...

Quite the pessimist

There's a difference between being a pessimist and being pessimistic about a given situation... Be honest... Do you think Darvin Hamm can turn LeBron/AD/Westbrook into a championship team? (Note: Your answer will allow me to label you... for example: optimist, delusional, etc)

Darvin ham will take us to repeat a la 2009 / 2010

[stan francisco]

Is he a hard ass about defensive intensity? Need to research this dude…

[Michael Jackson]

The good news is for the Christmas Day game you know you will always have Ham around.

This is a fine hire, no one was going to jump over themselves to take this job and they needed a fresh face... they got that. Really they just have to run out this next year and make decisions, Ham might be great or just a great place holder.

[Effigy]

When's the last time the Lakers hired a coach with no head coaching experience who wasn't a former Laker? Not saying that's a bad thing at all, just something different from them. I wonder if they were inspired by the success of Ime in Boston?

[Eric Bieniemy]

When's the last time the Lakers hired a coach with no head coaching experience who wasn't a former Laker? Not saying that's a bad thing at all, just something different from them. I wonder if they were inspired by the success of Ime in Boston?

... and Willie Green.

[sonnyhill]

Ham also got a 4-year contract, something which both Lue and Williams had requested, but were denied, when they were both interviewing for the Laker job.

Good for Ham in getting the 4-year contract, but Jeanie and the Rambus couple need to get out of the way and Rob needs to be replaced by Rich Paul. The way that the Lakers had handled the contract negotiations with Lue and Williams as well as only offering Vogel a 1-year extension are all examples of antiquated thinking.

[Slava]

When's the last time the Lakers hired a coach with no head coaching experience who wasn't a former Laker? Not saying that's a bad thing at all, just something different from them. I wonder if they were inspired by the success of Ime in Boston?

Ham spent two years as an assistant under Mike Brown with the lakers. So while he’s isn’t an ex player, he still has a lakers connection.

[tamaraw08]

When's the last time the Lakers hired a coach with no head coaching experience who wasn't a former Laker? Not saying that's a bad thing at all, just something different from them. I wonder if they were inspired by the success of Ime in Boston?

... and Willie Green.

Recent ex players like Green,Lue and Udoka have been good so far but it's not automatic for sure. I think of ex players like Brian Shaw, Jacque Vaugn, Derek Fisher, Luke Walton, Jeff Hornacek, Tyronne Corbin, Magic, Rambis, Earl Watson etc etc.

[LAL1947]

Ham also got a 4-year contract, something which both Lue and Williams had requested, but were denied, when they were both interviewing for the Laker job.

Good for Ham in getting the 4-year contract, but Jeanie and the Rambus couple need to get out of the way and Rob needs to be replaced by Rich Paul. The way that the Lakers had handled the contract negotiations with Lue and Williams as well as only offering Vogel a 1-year extension are all examples of antiquated thinking.

You're making me hope that we send Lebron to Cleveland, taking you along with him. Why you gotta do that?

We don't want or need Lebron or Rich Paul involved with Lakers ownership or management. NO BUENO POR FAVOR.

Also, I think the Lakers handled the previous coaching search very well. They held firm to their set budget and got the right man for the job in Frank Vogel... then surrounded him with a world class staff in Kidd, Handy and Hollins. Vogel won us a chip... but then your Klutch guys (Lebron, AD and Rich Paul) had to go eff things up by insisting we trade for Westbrook when they saw other trios of stars gather elsewhere in the league. Kidd was a good hire too, and he just showed up Monty Williams in the WC playoffs. I also really like that the Lakers refused to be held under the barrel by Ty Lue's exorbitant asking rate of 5-years guaranteed @ $35m + to pay him whatever Cleveland still owed him for parting ways with him. So much to appreciate about all that... like being sensible and responsible, like evaluating every candidate fairly to see who fits the need best... yet you still manage to manufacture negativity.

[stan francisco]

Darvin Ham was a Klutch hire... He's perfect for them. I'm sure they figure they can mold him into the ideal coach for their clients...

And he may be fundamentally a good coach... But that doesn't matter on this team because he has no real gravitas and will have no real authority in a room filled with the likes of LeBron, Ad, Westbrook and whoever else they decide they want to play with...

So it's whatever...

If next season is a success or another disaster, it'll have little to do with him... Which is what I felt about Vogel too...

I think you’re right in thinking that’s what Klutch and LBJ think about this hire.

Where I hope you might be wrong is with Darvin, but I don’t know his track record. I’m hoping he takes the opportunity in stride, like Ime Udoka did. If you’re a young leader, the vets will listen and follow you to the end of earth if you approach it with the right energy and backed by wisdom. He’ll have the savvy assistant coaches he needs.

Every good coach has the same imprint on his/her team; they take on their personality.

It’ll be interesting to see who this cat is.

[sonnyhill]

Ham also got a 4-year contract, something which both Lue and Williams had requested, but were denied, when they were both interviewing for the Laker job.

Good for Ham in getting the 4-year contract, but Jeanie and the Rambus couple need to get out of the way and Rob needs to be replaced by Rich Paul. The way that the Lakers had handled the contract negotiations with Lue and Williams as well as only offering Vogel a 1-year extension are all examples of antiquated thinking.

You're making me hope that we send Lebron to Cleveland, taking you along with him. Why you gotta do that?

We don't want or need Lebron or Rich Paul involved with Lakers ownership or management. NO BUENO POR FAVOR.

Also, I think the Lakers handled the previous coaching search very well. They held firm to their set budget and got the right man for the job in Frank Vogel... then surrounded him with a world class staff in Kidd, Handy and Hollins. Vogel won us a chip... but then your Klutch guys (Lebron, AD and Rich Paul) had to go eff things up by insisting we trade for Westbrook when they saw other trios of stars gather elsewhere in the league. Kidd was a good hire too, and he just showed up Monty Williams in the WC playoffs. I also really like that the Lakers refused to be held under the barrel by Ty Lue's exorbitant asking rate of 5-years guaranteed @ $35m + to pay him whatever Cleveland still owed him for parting ways with him. So much to appreciate about all that... like being sensible and responsible, like evaluating every candidate fairly to see who fits the need best... yet you still manage to manufacture negativity.

Trading LeBron for draft capital and expiring contracts would makes sense; however, Jeanie has publicly stated that she wants to see LeBron in a Laker uniform breaking the NBA all-time scoring record. Your suggestion of trading LeBron away makes sense from a "rebuilding the roster" standpoint; yet, Jeanie is more concerned about having records broken by players wearing a Laker uniform than building a winning team. Her behavior is disgraceful!

The Lakers are a Klutch team with LeBron, AD, Executive Assistant Randy Mims, Coach Ham all part of the organization. The Lakers owe Klutch "big time," because it was LeBron and AD which brought (bought?) the Lakers its "bubble summer camp" championship. Jeanie should bring in Rich Paul to either become the CEO of the Lakers and have Pelinka report to him or fire Pelinka and hire Rich Paul to run the front office.