Darvin Ham was brought to the Lakers to help restore the team’s defensive foundation. The 2021-22 season had many issues, but finishing 21st in defensive rating under a defensive-minded head coach was arguably the most embarrassing.
Even as the Lakers remain winless to start the season, Ham has at least had success in the primary goal: the Lakers are fourth in the league in defense, even though they’ve faced Steph Curry, Dame Lillard, and Nikola Jokiu0107 to start the season. It’s a commendable achievement for a team that is mostly filled with newcomers learning a new system.