The difference between Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick and his predecessor, Darvin Ham, is night and day by media, fans, and players. Even Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell took a subtle shot at Ham when comparing him and Redick. Following the first day of training camp, the team had ‘all-time high vibes’ surrounding Redick’s first season. Jovan Buha of The Athletic took to YouTube to discuss the ‘all-time high vibes.’
“I cannot remember the Lakers having this kind of positive, joyous, and upbeat energy to this extent in any of the previous four training camps,” Buha said. “That’s not hyperbole — it’s my honest opinion and assessment of what I’m witnessing.
“Walking into the gym today, under the previous regime, you’d typically see all six courts taken, but it would be a lot of half-speed drills or guys doing post-workout shooting. Today, however — and yes, it was the first day of camp, so we’ll see if this continues — it was intense.”
What’s the difference between Lakers head coach JJ Redick and Darvin Ham?
One of the biggest complaints was a lack of organization, structure, and planning under Ham. Redick hosted a meeting before training camp started to go over what needed to be emphasized before camp started. Regardless, Redick has some expectations from Lakers fans after Ham’s tenure.
Ham led the Lakers for two straight seasons and didn’t disappoint his first season. Although the team went 43-39, they made it to the Western Conference Finals where they were swept by the eventual champion, Denver Nuggets. The team had a disappointing 2023-24 season under Ham. Although they had a better regular season, the Nuggets were their kryptonite once again. They had a gentlemen’s sweep by Denver in the first round, in which Jamal Murray hit two game-winning shots.
Even though the season went well, it’s not up to the standards of the Lakers, specifically LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Both have won an NBA Championship and know what it takes to get to that level. There was a clear disconnect between the former head coach and some of the roster.
Also, some of the moves he made like benching Austin Reeves and Rui Hachimura led Ham to be fired. However, Rome wasn’t built overnight and it might be that way for the Lakers. Despite the vibes being up, it’s important to air on the side of caution. The Lakers will see how high the vibes are when they take on the Phoenix Suns on Sunday in the first game of preseason basketball.
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