He knew he was in the hot seat, and D'Angelo Russell has unsurprisingly paid the price for the Lakers' bad patch since the victory in the NBA tournament. Last night, in OKC, the former All-Star started on the bench, and Darvin Ham therefore chose to play without a professional playmaker. Jarred Vanderbilt returns to the starting five, and LeBron James takes care of running the game.
On offense, it doesn't change much since LeBron has always led the game, but it's on defense that it requires more adjustments. “We chose to rely on defense,” Darvin Ham justified himself before the match against the Thunder. “And when you defend well, it makes attacking a little easier. So I wanted to build on this sector, with a slightly bigger starting five.”
Impose your physique from the start of the match
We could even say a lot “taller” since the Lakers showed up with five players 2m00 and over. It's rather rare, but the formula proved him right with this surprise victory in OKC.
“It's clear that we are having a lot of difficulties in the first quarters this season, so we think that being a little bigger on the outside, more athletic, gives us a chance to take the advantage” continues Darvin Ham. In fact, it was not very conclusive since the Lakers conceded 39 points in the first quarter!
On the other hand, this makes it possible to densify the bench, and more particularly the attack, with Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and now D'Angelo Russell. This night, the three combined for 47 points, compared to 26 for the Thunder bench.
An ultra offensive bench
“Austin and D-Lo had a very good bond on the field”recalled Darvin Ham before the meeting. “This “second unit” allows us to play a little faster and be more offensive. I can't wait to see how this starting five puts pressure on the game at the start of the match and also to see, once we start making substitutions, the variety we will have in attack.
The victory in OKC proved him right, and he liked the look of his team. His training imposed his game, and that’s what he expected.
“We need to get to the point where we can initiate, sustain and finish growing Lakers basketball.”, concludes Darvin Ham after the meeting. “And not just when there’s an issue, or whatever. It's not just about that. It's about knowing what face we want to show to the 29 other teams. We must be a tough, competitive, united and coherent team. »
