Darvin Ham is the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and a lot of people are excited about what he’s going to bring to the organization.
However, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley seems to think the hire isn’t going to move the needle for L.A. He recently explained his thinking.
“Well I’m glad Darvin got an opportunity ’cause he’s paid his dues,” Barkley said. “He’s a nice guy. We’ll have to see what kind of coach he is. But listen, if one of your coaches is close to the same age as your players, your team not gonna be any good anyway. The Lakers, they got a serious dilemma on their hands. Their best player’s gonna be 40. Anthony Davis has never been healthy. Obviously, Russ (Russell Westbrook) is gonna be there one more year, so what’s really bad about the situation — next year is gonna be the same as this year. And then LeBron [James] just gonna be a year older, and then they’ll have Russ off the books.”
The Lakers’ recent coaching search was an interesting one. When deciding who to hire, they likely considered both the immediate and long-term future of the organization.
Of course, when it comes to the immediate future, the goal for the Lakers is to return to title contention. However, that window won’t last forever. In fact, depending on some unsettled factors, the 2022-23 season could be L.A.’s last chance to win a title for a while.
For that reason, the Lakers also probably looked down the road a bit when deciding who to hire. They decided on Ham, and the hope is that the move will pay dividends.
Time will tell if the Lakers find success in the 2022-23 season. After their miserable 2021-22 campaign, the Lakers have a lot to prove. They’d surely love to make Barkley eat his words.
