Ham wants Westbrook to play critical role

Lakers coach Darvin Ham was introduced on Monday and shared his plan for bringing toughness back to Los Angeles.

However that plan unfolds, as the Lakers seek a revival following an NBA season that ended without a ticket to the playoffs, Ham intends to keep Russell Westbrook in a critical role.

Westbrook, owed US$47 million on a player option in his second season with the Lakers, averaged 18.5 points per game last season and was widely criticized for missing open shots and playing hesitantly.

“Don't get it messed up: Russ is one of the best players our league has ever seen,” Ham said Monday. “There's still a ton left in that tank. I don't know why people tend to try to write him off.”

If there was any doubt about Westbrook's interest in playing for Ham and new assistant coach Rasheed Wallace, it was erased Monday. Westbrook was one of four players on the roster in attendance for Ham's introductory session.

Ham said in his conversations recently with Westbrook the focal point was “sacrifice,” and touched on Westbrook playing more off the ball in an offence patterned after the Milwaukee Bucks. Ham was an assistant coach with the Bucks under Mike Budenholzer and helped incorporate multiple scoring options.

Wallace once called Westbrook the best player in the NBA and will have a hand in helping contribute to the edge and toughness that general manager Rob Pelinka said he wanted in the 202223 Lakers.

Lebron James reportedly pushed Pelinka to acquire Westbrook in a deal that became public during the 2021 NBA draft. When the experiment appeared to be a failure, James was reportedly very willing to let Westbrook go if John Wall, who shares an agent with James, could be acquired.

James said in his exit interview in April that he has no interest in wielding personnel power over the front office.