The Los Angeles Lakers recently named Darvin Ham as their new head coach. Of course, Ham’s new job comes with a lot of expectations from both the team’s brass and its many fans.
One of those expectations has to do with surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the right kind of talent to help the superstar duo win another title with the team.
When it comes to James, giving him the right kind of players to play with has a lot to do with relieving him of duties that cause wear and tear on his body.
At 37 years old, James is rewriting the rules when it comes to NBA players extending their prime years. Ham knows that one of his main jobs is helping James continue to play at peak performance despite his age.
Ham says his No. 1 goal is "lessen the wear and tear" on LeBron
— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) June 6, 2022
James has done an incredible job throughout his career of limiting wear and tear. It’s part of the reason why he’s still so dominant at 37 years old. Still, he has dealt with more injuries in recent seasons compared to earlier in his career.
In the 2021-22 campaign, he played just 56 games. In the previous year, he played 45. Clearly, the years are starting to take their toll.
When James did take the court this season, he was brilliant. He averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.
Ham is going to have to do everything he can to take advantage of that kind of production from James. If he can, the Lakers could turn things around incredibly quickly and challenge for a title in the near future.
