Being the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers may be one of the toughest jobs in professional sports. The team history, the banners, the city, the arena, everything about the Lakers screams prestige.
When you're the head coach of a situation like that, all eyes are on you. Sometimes the lights are too bright, and coaches get fired, like Darvin Ham, who could have a new head coaching gig coming elsewhere.
According to both The Stein Line, Darvin Ham is a likely target for the New Orleans Pelicans if James Borrego doesn’t land the full-time position.
It didn't work for LA. Although, in a new situation, with different expectations, a young team could be the exact type of group Ham needs.
Darvin Ham’s next opportunity could define his coaching career
Just from his resume alone, you'd think he would be a candidate for other teams elsewhere. Two playoff appearances, a 90-74 record, and a Conference Finals appearance.
Probably 90 percent of the league wouldn't fire a coach that accomplished all that in just two seasons. With the Lakers, expectations are different. However, for the Pelicans, they would love to have someone like Ham because he can continue to grow with the guys and build good habits.
Look at what Ime Udoka did for a young Houston Rockets team. He established something that helped develop young guys. He's unlikely to lead them to a championship, his imprint is clearly on the team. That's the type of situation Ham could thrive in, and he's shown that since returning to the Milwaukee Bucks.
As big of a dumpster fire as the Bucks have been this season, there's been some incredibly interesting developmental projects on the team. Players like Ousmane Dieng, Jericho Sims, and, obviously, Ryan Rollins have shown enough that Milwaukee should invest in them if they enter a rebuild.
The keyword there is "rebuild"—as the Bucks appear to be trending towards one. The Pelicans likely will be in one as well.
The emergence of Jeremiah Fears in the second half of the season, the investment made into Derik Queen on draft night, and the fact that this will be the second straight with sub-30 wins only makes the direction that much more clear.
Yes, Lakers fans may remember Ham for the hands-in-pockets and the lack of adjustments, or the viral timeout clip where he salutes the team. However, that criticism comes from the intense spotlight that comes with coaching the Lakers.
Most coaches, especially early in their tenure as head coach, struggle with adjustments, when to call timeouts, and how to truly manage a game. That doesn't mean second chances shouldn't happen. The Pelicans have a developing roster and could use a coach who can grow with them, and that is who Ham is.