Many people around the NBA are happy for Darvin Ham now that he will become the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and feel he is the right man for the job.
But there is only so much a head coach can do to solve a team’s problems, and the Lakers’ problems all have to do with their roster.
They have arguably the best duo in the game, but they don’t have a ton outside of that in terms of viable supporting players.
As a result, NBA Hall of Famer and “Inside the NBA” personality Charles Barkley feels L.A. will struggle again next season.
Via Lakers Daily:
“However, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley seems to think the hire isn’t going to move the needle for L.A. He recently explained his thinking.
“‘Well I’m glad Darvin got an opportunity ’cause he’s paid his dues,’ Barkley said. ‘He’s a nice guy. We’ll have to see what kind of coach he is. But listen, if one of your coaches is close to the same age as your players, your team not gonna be any good anyway. The Lakers, they got a serious dilemma on their hands. Their best player’s gonna be 40. Anthony Davis has never been healthy. Obviously, Russ (Russell Westbrook) is gonna be there one more year, so what’s really bad about the situation — next year is gonna be the same as this year. And then LeBron [James] just gonna be a year older, and then they’ll have Russ off the books.'”
Westbrook has been rumored to be on the move, but recent reports suggest the Lakers may hold onto him for one more season, if for no other reason that the fact that potential trade partners are playing hardball with them.
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Although he is an awkward fit, Westbrook is still a very good player who closed this season strong, and perhaps Ham will be able to use him successfully alongside the ball-dominant James.
Make no mistake – this is a very big offseason for the Lakers. But they have already apparently taken a step forward by hiring Ham.
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