New Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham knows how important Anthony Davis is for his team.
Coaching the 17-time champion Los Angeles Lakers, who are constantly chasing a championship, is both an honor and a joy for Ham in his first season as head coach in the NBA. LeBron James, who is probably the best NBA player ever, is on the Lakers' roster. It also includes injury-plagued star Anthony Davis and struggling star Russell Westbrook.
Few NBA head coaches in their first season have experienced this kind of pressure. Ham politely asserts that the pressure of joining the Lakers does not frighten him, but he does acknowledge that they need one player in particular to really step up this season.
That player is Davis, and he minced no words in describing AD's value to the Lakers.
“With AD, I would say he’s the biggest factor,” Ham told Marc Spears of Andscape. “I’m looking forward to him having a huge year this year. I know the way we’re going to play is going to benefit him. The way I’m going to take care of him, make sure we take care of him, it’s going to benefit him. That size, that skill set, that approach. What you saw in the bubble, we’re bringing that back. And again, we got to make sure we take care of him, meet all of his needs physically and make sure he’s in a good space mentally, spiritually, but he’s the factor. This s– ain’t going to work without AD being right.”
Darvin Ham is bringing his philosophy and a Saginaw toughness to the #Lakers. Former NBA player talks to @andscape about his long road to becoming a head coach, the challenge of coaching LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, and more. https://t.co/51ZOP7UtZ7 #nba
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 7, 2022
Davis had a strong start to this season. In his first 25 games, he averaged 24 points on 52.3 percent shooting, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocked shots. After that, however, his performance gradually deteriorated.
His output decreased in December, and he missed around five weeks of work after spraining his MCL in the middle of the month. Afterward, only 10 games into his comeback, he strained his foot, missing all but three of the remaining games.
It's unclear whether his numerous injuries during the last 18 months were caused more by his propensity for injuries or by his being in the wrong place at the wrong time (i.e. landing awkwardly on or colliding with players).
Nevertheless, Davis' level of play will be the most crucial factor affecting the Lakers' hopes of returning to the playoffs and maybe contending for another NBA title.
“I think he’s the key. We’ve all seen what can happen when he’s healthy, when he’s playing at a high level,” Ham said in early June. “His ability to give multiple efforts defensively is key. It’s gonna be the foundation of the type of standard we set… It’s going to be built on that defense, and he’s going to be the centerpiece of it… We need consistency out of a healthy Anthony Davis.
“We need him to be in a good mental space, and we need him to be consistent as possible and back to playing that championship-type basketball.”
L.A. was indeed successful under former head coach Frank Vogel. It was primarily due to shutting down other teams on the defensive end. Davis played a significant role in that.
The Lakers became a defensive powerhouse thanks to his ability to guard players at various positions. He can play one-on-one, protect the rim, and prevent opponents from driving into the paint. That defense sparked a dangerous transition game. For instance, the Lakers' fastbreak was heavily reliant on Davis' ability to run the floor and finish forcefully at the rim.
Remember that last season, the Lakers went from first in defensive rating to twenty-first. Davis only managed to participate in 40 games last year. Part of that was undoubtedly his own fault, but even when he was available, the team's defense was still weak.
Maybe Ham's fresh perspective will give the Lakers new life, especially on defense.
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