From the moment Darvin Ham became the Lakers head coach, he did not let the voices outside the franchise taint his view on Russell Westbrook. Instead, the first-year head coach embraced him and quickly stated that he had a plan for the nine-time All-Star.
Last season, Westbrook’s production and efficiency dropped significantly in his first season in Los Angeles. In 78 games, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points per game while posting his career-worst 15.0 PER. As the Lakers missed the playoffs last season with many targeting Westbrook as the reason, Ham believes things will be different with the talented guard and that he was “counted out prematurely.