Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has spoken about how he plans to get the best out of Russell Westbrook in 2022. Westbrook endured one of the toughest seasons of his career, as he was an awkward fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis for much of the season. However, the Lakers head coach has said all the right things about rejuvenating Westbrook. In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Ham was asked if Westbrook would be a starter for the Lakers. Here is his firm response.

“Yes, indeed. It’s just the way we’re going to play and the type of people that’s going to be out there on the floor, that’s the biggest thing.”

Ham said he views Westbrook as a starter for the Lakers in 2022. That's not all he said about the star guard, though. The Lakers head coach spoke about how he believes Westbrook has been “counted out prematurely.”

It's these two particular sentences that should excite Lakers fans.

“We ain’t going to try to curtail his energy. We’re just going to diversify it, redirect it.”

Part of what makes Westbrook so great is his energy on the court. Ham plans to harness that in different ways for the Lakers in 2022. Of course, all this hinges on Westbrook actually being on the roster.

The star guard has been the subject of trade rumors, most notably alongside Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving. However, if Russell Westbrook remains on the Lakers entering the 2022 season, he'll have a place in Darvin Ham's starting lineup.