Darvin Ham Shouldn't Be Viewed as Lakers' Plan B Despite Juwan Howard Rumors
On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced the hiring of new head coach Darvin Ham.
After an extensive and lengthy coaching search—Frank Vogel was fired at the end of the regular season—L.A. settled on the 48-year-old Milwaukee Bucks assistant as the man to lead the Lakers into the future.
However, Ham may not have actually been Los Angeles' top choice. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Michigan head coach Juwan Howard could have had the job if he wanted it:
"The Lakers, I'm told, made such strong overtures to Howard that the implication was clear: The job was his if he wanted it. As covered here on May 2, Howard made it clear in turn throughout the Lakers' 47-day search that—despite his long associations with both [LeBron] James and Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka—he had no interest in leaving behind the college game at Michigan and the opportunity to coach sons Jace and Jett next season."
At first blush, Howard would appear to be the perfect candidate for this Lakers team. He has head coaching experience, an established relationship with both Pelinka and James and is a former NBA All-Star player.
The Lakers appeared intrigued by the idea of hiring a former player during the interview process—possibly because of their ability to relate to and work with the team's current players.
"Several of the first-year candidates they've been linked to are former players that are known to command respect," Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote.
While it was Howard who turned down the Lakers, and not the other way around, fans shouldn't view Ham as some sort of consolation prize. He checks all the boxes for what the Lakers were looking for, which became evident during interviews—as Sam Amick and Shams Charania detailed for The Athletic:
"Sources say team officials have prioritized a coach who can command respect and authority from the locker room and who has a strong enough presence and voice to manage the varying roles and relationships across the roster. ...Ham has been known for his no-nonsense style and ability to resonate with his players—attributes that have stood out in his communication with the Lakers thus far as well, sources said."
Like Howard, Ham is a former NBA player. He went unclaimed in the 1996 draft but managed to forge an eight-year playing career. He understands the day-to-day grind of playing basketball at the highest level, and he knows what it takes to win a championship—he won a ring as a player with the Detroit Pistons.
Ham also seems to be a favorite of Lakers star LeBron James, who appeared thrilled when the hiring was first announced.
"He's the guy LeBron wants," a competing source said in May, per Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus.
While Ham has never been a head coach at the college or NBA level, he has coached in the G League and earned a second ring in 2021 as an assistant with the Bucks. This is a fact Pelinka alluded to in the official hiring announcement:
"When someone begins his NBA coaching career at the G League level and goes all the way through playing an integral role on the front bench of an NBA Championship team, it really speaks to a certain strength of character. Our players and fans will immediately identify with Darvin’s no-nonsense and hard-working approach, which we feel will bring toughness and a competitive edge to all we do."
Ham is expected to add someone with head-coaching experience to his staff as well, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:
Ham's lack of head-coaching experience shouldn't be an issue and, in many ways, could be an asset. Los Angeles is expected to move forward with the core trio of James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. Getting the most out of the three could require a fresh approach—anything and everything Vogel seemed to try fell flat—and a rookie coach like Ham should come in with an open mind.
However, Ham won't simply serve as a yes man for James and Co. As Pelinka pointed out, the Lakers were drawn to his no-nonsense approach. Ham will work with his players but will demand a business-first approach.
And, as we're seeing with Ime Udoka and the Boston Celtics, a first-time coach can find immediate success.
Will Ham have the Lakers in the NBA Finals a year from now? Perhaps not, but he has all the tools needed to get them headed in the right direction. He's played the game, coached the game, won at the highest level and will command respect from the Lakers' seasoned veterans.
Without an established system in place, Ham has an opportunity to build an entirely novel one around those veterans.
Even if Ham wasn't L.A.'s first choice, the Lakers learned through the interview process that he is the right choice for this team. Fans will learn that soon enough, too. The roster may look similar next season, but by hiring Ham, the Lakers are heading in a new direction.
