The Lakers are embarking on a new era in the upcoming season with rookie head coach JJ Redick and the early signs are positives. Per team insider Jovan Buha, the players are enjoying working with the former Clippers guard. The energy shift under the new coaching staff is so palpable that the Lakers’ stars couldn’t help but mock former head coach Darvin Ham’s methods.
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On his YouTube channel, Buha revealed the players are impressed with their new head coach’s methods and are optimistic about the future after their torrid experience over the last two campaigns. He said,
“The players were very complimentary of JJ Redick and his organization, and structure, and discipline, and communication and it sometimes came at the expense of Darvin Ham and the previous coaching staff. There were some subtle and not-so-subtle shots at the previous coaching staff.”
During the Lakers’ Media Day, D’Angelo Russell also took a swipe at Ham. He told Lakers beat writer Dan Woike that the Lakers lacked vision last season, a gap that Redick has filled brilliantly. In a post on X, the reporter revealed,
“D’Angelo Russell said the Lakers have been kinda ‘winging it’ since his return to the organization and he mentioned more structure being around this summer”
D’Angelo Russell said the Lakers have been kinda “winging it” since his return to the organization and he mentioned more structure being around this summer.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) September 30, 2024
The Lakers are hoping their new head coach flips the franchise’s fortunes after two despondent seasons under Ham’s leadership.
The Darvin Ham era came to an unceremonious end
Following the run to the Western Conference Finals in the 2023 playoffs and their In-Season Tournament win later that year, the Lakers were seemingly on an upward trajectory with Ham. However, the head coach was heavily criticized for experimenting with a slew of lineups and showcasing poor tactical acumen during games.
In December, things took a turn for the worse when Ham benched Russell, the team’s third-best scorer after he returned from injury. After a run of 10 losses in 13 games, reports emerged in January 2024 that the players were losing patience with Ham.
The head coach and Davis also butted heads when the superstar claimed that at times he felt the team had no idea about what they intended to do on the court. Ham fired back that the Lakers’ coaching staff always had a concise game plan.
Following their 4-1 series loss to the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, the team and the head coach parted ways, paving the way for Redick to take over. While he has made a positive impact so far, it remains to be seen whether the players’ opinion stays the same or they turn on him like they did with Ham if the going gets tough during the season.
