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A lot has been made about Russell Westbrook’s fit with the Los Angeles Lakers after a disastrous first season in LA.
The Lakers finished the year with a record of 33-49 and missed the playoffs for the second time since LeBron James joined the organization in 2018.
Los Angeles Lakers' Russell Westbrook smiles during the Darvin Ham introductory press conference on June 6, 2022, at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. (Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis were never able to find the necessary chemistry, leading to a down year for Westbrook, and causing many to question whether the fit makes sense.
On Monday, the Lakers introduced former Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham as head coach, and Ham was adamant that Westbrook will be part of the plan moving forward.
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"Absolutely," Ham said when asked about Westbrook. "Just our running habits. And don’t get it messed up, Russ is one of the best players our league has ever seen, and there’s still a ton left in that tank. I don’t know why people tend to try to write him off.
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"I’m going to approach him like I do every player I’ve ever encountered," he continued. "We’re going to talk about our running habits with the ball, without the ball. And again, the rhythm of the team, and trying to establish a rhythm with LeBron, Russ and AD. And again, share the load defensively and offensively. Defensively is where you’re going to see us make our biggest leaps and bounds. We have to commit to the defensive side of the ball, or we don’t have a chance to do anything. The offense won’t even matter if we don’t get stops."
New head coach Darvin Ham is introduced by Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, at the UCLA Health Training Center, in El Segundo, California, Monday, June 6, 2022. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Ham has a major challenge ahead of him as he attempts to get the Lakers back to the postseason. Both James and Westbrook are in the latter stages of their careers, with Westbrook entering his 15th season and James his 20th.
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Ham told reporters Monday that Davis will be "the key" to maximizing the Lakers' potential.
Darvin Ham with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, Monday, June 6, 2022. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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"It’s going to be built on that defense, and he’s [Davis] going to be the main piece," Ham said. "The centerpiece of it. LeBron is always going to be great. LeBron is going to be Lebron, Russ is going to be Russ. But we need consistency out of Anthony Davis. We need him to be healthy, we need him to be in a good mental space, and we need him to be as consistent as possible and back to that championship-type basketball."
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