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

[stan francisco]

I like the Wallace hire. Ham definitely should know what he wants in an assistant. This will be a bad boys out west team.

He just better not get techs from the bench

That’s exactly what I was thinking. I’m digging it so far. We got the brawn handled. Let’s get some savvy now. A bald or white haired dude is never wrong to have around.

Can Phil become Ham’s Tex?

[scoobs07]

Interesting that at the press conference, Ham said that the Lakers are looking at some good, "young" coaches. He also mentioned that some are under contract. I'm sure they will get at least one ex head coach though.

[scoobs07]

I'm thinking Bucks assistant Charles Lee is who Ham was referring to.

[sonnyhill]

Darvin Ham got hired to coach a team with a front office which had emasculated the previous head coach (only giving him a 1-year contract extension, trading for Westbrook, having Kurt Rambis sit in on coaches and team meetings, etc.). While some are voicing their desire to see Coach Ham bring in a veteran assistant and others are lamenting on the bad timing of hiring Ham before Snyder had resigned from Utah, would it not make more sense to pivot the talking points to the front office and the hope that it gives Coach Ham the latitude, budget and freedom to hire a top-notch and cohesive staff, regardless of background, experience, gender, etc.?

Also, it is a bit "premature" to second-guess the Ham hire; lets give him some time, at least until after the end of this upcoming season.

[Danny Darko]

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[zimpy27]

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[Kilroy]

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Rob Pelinka is the most punchable man in the NBA... He surpasses the likes of Westbrook, Booker, CP3, and Greyson Allen...
He's like the human equivalent of rendered chicken fat... Slimey, and It feels gross when you get it on your hands and it's hard to wash off...

[SlimShady83]

I don't know about you guys ... But I'm kind of liking Darvin Ham...

I really hope he can make it work with Westbrook and prove you all wrong - might just be 1 year late on Westbrook

Hope Westbrook Is pumped and keen to stay IMO - I know most If not all of you don't want Westbrook, but think it can still work out

[sonnyhill]

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Rob Pelinka is the most punchable man in the NBA... He surpasses the likes of Westbrook, Booker, CP3, and Greyson Allen...
He's like the human equivalent of rendered chicken fat... Slimey, and It feels gross when you get it on your hands and it's hard to wash off...

Kilroy, how do you really feel about Rob Pelinka?

[sonnyhill]

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If players and teams can take on the personality of their head coach, then the Lakers are going to play a physical and mentally-tough brand of basketball!!!

[tamaraw08]

I don't know about you guys ... But I'm kind of liking Darvin Ham...

I really hope he can make it work with Westbrook and prove you all wrong - might just be 1 year late on Westbrook

Hope Westbrook Is pumped and keen to stay IMO - I know most If not all of you don't want Westbrook, but think it can still work out

If Ham does make it work with Westbrook, a very fragile AD and a 37 yr old aging superstar, with no cap space, he would be elevated EASILY as the top 3 Tacticians every to coach the Lakers team.
I didn't want to give much credit to Vogel before, but I strongly believe Frank did pretty much everything to make it work last season. I can't imagine him not holding all these players esp Westbrook accountable in defense and using the words "sacrifice"...
4 out- 1 in Strategy... didn't Vogel tried to play small many many games put 4-5 perimeter players to open up the lanes for Westbrook and Lebron who actually played center at times?

[Kilroy]

I don't know about you guys ... But I'm kind of liking Darvin Ham...

I really hope he can make it work with Westbrook and prove you all wrong - might just be 1 year late on Westbrook

Hope Westbrook Is pumped and keen to stay IMO - I know most If not all of you don't want Westbrook, but think it can still work out

I mean, he seems like a likeable guy, but he said absolutely nothing... And I like the passion from Russell, but to think that translates to success on the court is a leap...

This is one of those signings that don't mean anything until next spring. We're either in the playoffs and looking solid, or we're not, and it was another failure...

The FO hiring a feel-good Coach, isn't going to distract anything from that...

[danfantastk32]

I don't know about you guys ... But I'm kind of liking Darvin Ham...

I really hope he can make it work with Westbrook and prove you all wrong - might just be 1 year late on Westbrook

Hope Westbrook Is pumped and keen to stay IMO - I know most If not all of you don't want Westbrook, but think it can still work out

I don't mind the hiring, but it comes at the sacrifice of a coach who I thought was pretty good. That's my only issue: what's he got that Vogel didn't? Perhaps a fresh voice?? I dunno.....seems like 2/3rds of that team was first-year.

The clear obvious issue is Westbrook. Can Ham get through to him? I doubt it. But I too would like to be proven wrong, and have the Lakers make the playoffs, and be in contention (don't have to win it all....but just squeaking into the playoffs doesn't really mean much either). We'll see. My $$$ is on Westbrook being the same un-team player he always is. But we still have opportunities to ship him off. So I haven't given up totally. I feel like I'm praying for a miracle at this point....but I LIKE watching the Lakers. It would be nice to watch them this season.

[Slava]

I’m glad Fizdale is gone.

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[tamaraw08]

I don't know about you guys ... But I'm kind of liking Darvin Ham...

I really hope he can make it work with Westbrook and prove you all wrong - might just be 1 year late on Westbrook

Hope Westbrook Is pumped and keen to stay IMO - I know most If not all of you don't want Westbrook, but think it can still work out

I don't mind the hiring, but it comes at the sacrifice of a coach who I thought was pretty good. That's my only issue: what's he got that Vogel didn't? Perhaps a fresh voice?? I dunno.....seems like 2/3rds of that team was first-year.

The clear obvious issue is Westbrook. Can Ham get through to him? I doubt it. But I too would like to be proven wrong, and have the Lakers make the playoffs, and be in contention (don't have to win it all....but just squeaking into the playoffs doesn't really mean much either). We'll see. My $$$ is on Westbrook being the same un-team player he always is. But we still have opportunities to ship him off. So I haven't given up totally. I feel like I'm praying for a miracle at this point....but I LIKE watching the Lakers. It would be nice to watch them this season.

Don't feel like praying, Get to your knees and pray right now.
The Hope is that he will be more creative on offense than FRank, that he will get to their faces if they miss or late for a rotation etc.
Can Ham change Westbrook and make him be more accurate with this shots?
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Did he truly believe Russ would REALLY IMPROVE and help this team? I hope and pray I am wrong about this too. I can't help but wonder if Terry Stotts were more blatantly honest that he's not a magician and he said I can't fix Russ, NO ONE CAN !! and Rob and Lebron disagreed.

[BEazy]

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Lets go!

[zimpy27]

I’m glad Fizdale is gone.

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My thoughts too..

[Slava]

I’m glad Fizdale is gone.

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My thoughts too..

Hopefully it ends the regular season microball nonsense for good and Ham implements a 1 in 4 out offense with a stretch 5 in the starting lineup.

[zimpy27]

Watch on YouTube

Rob Pelinka is the most punchable man in the NBA... He surpasses the likes of Westbrook, Booker, CP3, and Greyson Allen...
He's like the human equivalent of rendered chicken fat... Slimey, and It feels gross when you get it on your hands and it's hard to wash off...

He's so shiny, at the very least he bathes in chicken fat.

[Eric Bieniemy]

I am good with trading LeBron for draft capital, expiring contracts, younger talent; yet, by doing so, the Lakers may diminish their future ability to attract future free agents. While many on this board may find the "bubble summer camp" championship to be "a tainted mirage," LeBron and Klutch did put together the deal to trade for AD, which was the lynchpin for the team's last championship. LeBron has indicate that he wants to say in Los Angeles; and if the Lakers move the GOAT to another team, what message does that send to future free agents? The Lakers had struck out badly on trying to recruit-and-sign both Aldridge as well as Kawaii Leonard.

First... Lebron is not the GOAT. There is only one GOAT, Michael Jordan.

Second... I find that those who are fearful of Lebron being traded usually resort to this sort of fear mongering, to create a reason why the Lakers shouldn't trade him. Oh but what will others think... boohoo AFAIC. Lebron does what is best for himself, always has, from the time he left Cleveland for Miami with "The Decision"... to how he left Miami and re-joined the Cavs who had gathered assets... to how he then left Cleveland to join the Lakers who had gathered assets. The team needs to do what is best for themselves too. "If you build it, they will come"... this old phrase doesn't only apply to real estate buildings, it also applies to team building and free agents in the NBA.

Jordan may very well be the best individual player ever. I concede that, but Magic is the best team player ever, and since basketball is inherently a team game, Magic is the best basketball player ever.

Jordan's defense was better, but Magic's "team intangibles" (ie. unselfishness, spirit, sacrifice, encouragement, and ability to make others better) were leagues better than Jordan.