The Los Angeles Lakers are definitely looking forward to the upcoming season, eager to rid themselves of the stench of last year's 33-49 record that saw them miss the playoffs entirely. While there were lots of problems that plagued the Lakers last season, from terrible fit issues to just an overall lack of quality players, it was former head coach Frank Vogel that became the scapegoat. With first-time head coach Darvin Ham in town, it appears his first order of business is re-establishing an identity that was lost in last year's mess of a season.

Speaking with reporters during the Lakers' first day of practice, Darvin Ham made it clear what he expects from his team, especially if they were to have any hopes of competing for a playoff spot, much less a championship.

“12 pm we all got together in a theatre, kind of went over some slides, it's just… a tone we want to set in terms of what our identity will be going into the season in terms of how we approach the game, how we play the game, the defensive mindset, you know, being great teammates, being competitors, and we came out on the court and proceeded to do that. Just planted the seeds for what this new 2022-23 Lakers will look like,” Ham said.

Darvin Ham is also optimistic about Russell Westbrook, who was the center of trade talks and role questions all offseason long. If Westbrook heeds his coach's instruction, there's a chance the Lakers may come out on top of their trade with the Washington Wizards yet.

“Absolutely,” Ham responded when asked whether Westbrook could remain in the upper hierarchy of the Lakers team alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He also clarified that he never made a statement that Westbrook would be coming off the bench. “There's this narrative that's been thrown out there that I never said, you know what I'm saying? It's crazy.”

While Darvin Ham, Westbrook, LeBron, and AD have all been saying the right things, the Lakers will have their work cut out for them this season. The team still looks defensively suspect, even with the additions of Patrick Beverley and emergent rim protector Damian Jones, and there appears to be a lack of shooting still, which is a no-no for a LeBron James-led team. Lakers fans will be hoping that the seeds Ham is planting blossom sooner than later, as even their former championship winning coach in Vogel couldn't mask the systemic issue the Lakers faced.