Report: Darvin Ham to have power to bench Russell Westbrook

Former NBA player Darvin Ham has a ton of new obligations as a initially-time head coach. Not only is he coaching a famous franchise in the Los Angeles Lakers, but he’ll have to juggle the anticipations of LA along with the egos and star electric power of various vital players on his group.

There is LeBron Jam es, who is still a superstar at age 37. Anthony Davis, who is a celebrity massive guy when healthier, is also there. Russell Westbrook, as soon as one of the most dynamic and explosive gamers in the league, is detailed on the depth chart as the setting up point guard and he can however participate in at a high level when he is in rhythm. With that mentioned, Westbrook has struggled to uncover that superstar-amount rhythm and it has especially afflicted his perimeter shooting. 

The dilemma for Ham is Westbrook’s expectations] of getting treated like an elite participant are nonetheless the exact as if he is nevertheless the caliber of player who received MVP in 2017.

He is just not the exact participant as ahead of, while. Former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel knew it, which prompted him to sit Westbrook at the stop of online games at moments final time. That in a natural way didn’t go in excess of nicely with a participant as prideful as Westbrook.

Ham is a initial-time head coach but he has NBA experience as player and coach. He received a championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 as a participant and won a further as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. He was also an assistant coach for the Lakers from 2011-2013, so he is also acquainted with coaching stars for the glamour franchise.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has offered Ham the electricity to make lineup conclusions about his crew, and that features changing Westbrook’s role in sport circumstances and maybe the commencing lineup.

This, in accordance to Jovan Buha of The Athletic:

“Lakers head mentor Darvin Ham will have additional electric power to bench Westbrook down the extend of video games, according to league sources (Former head mentor Frank Vogel did so a couple of periods previous time),” Buha wrote in a mailbag attribute. “That could at some point increase to eradicating Westbrook from the setting up lineup as nicely.”

It’s vital that as a new head mentor, Ham is equipped set up the society he wishes and impring on this tam the way he chooses and not primarily based on star electric power and former greatness. It stays to be observed how well Westbrook and Ham mesh but Ham reportedly wil be the one to come to a decision how that goes on the flooring.