With a younger roster, Ham’s expectation is that the Lakers can bounce back from last year’s struggles in a hurry and again become one of the “elite” defenses in the NBA.
EL SEGUNDO — The film room might seem an odd place to start the first day of practice, especially considering Darvin Ham had very little film to show.
Ham’s first day of training camp in his first head coaching role consisted of slides with some of the less flattering defensive figures from last season, paired with some of the corresponding principles Ham hopes to instill. Then the Lakers got to work on the court, chiefly working on defensive drills. In one, called “Cutthroat,” all points are scored on defense – hammering home the idea that the Lakers aim to be a defense-first squad this year.
Ham and the Lakers have their work cut out for them. Last season after boasting top-3 defenses in each of former coach Frank Vogel’s first two seasons, the Lakers finished 21st in defensive rating , and their inability to get timely stops was one of the most glaring issues among their many faults. Ham’s expectation – and maybe hubris – is that the Lakers can get that turned around in a hurry and become one of the “elite” defenses in the NBA.
While Ham was more noncommittal on media day about Westbrook’s grasp on a starting guard spot, he acknowledged Westbrook was “front and center” during many of the days’ drills. Ham has publicly emphasized that Westbrook’s role is dependent on his willingness to play aggressive defense , and on day one, the star guard seemed willing to buy into the role.