Darvin Ham’s many flaws led to him being fired by the Los Angeles Lakers after he had been their head coach for two seasons. They’re now in the early stages of a search for their next head coach, and they have reportedly received permission to interview several candidates on their list.
Obviously, they will want to hire someone who is a strong tactician, something Ham isn’t, at least not at this point in his coaching career. But Los Angeles is also looking for other big qualities in its next bench leader.
An ESPN report mentioned general manager Rob Pelinka wants his next head coach to be what he calls a “grinder.”
Via ESPN:
“In Pelinka’s conversations with officials across the league, the term ‘grinder’ keeps coming up in the general manager’s description of an important characteristic for the next coach, sources said,” wrote Dave McMenamin.
Another report, this time from The Athletic, shed more light on that desire.
Via The Athletic:
“The Lakers are seeking a coach who will command the locker room and hold players accountable, as well as tirelessly game plan and provide a level of structure and organization, according to those sources,” wrote Shams Charania and Jovan Buha.
Perhaps there was nothing wrong with Ham’s work ethic or grit. But when a head coach simply lacks the resourcefulness to settle on the right starting lineup early in the season, maximize his players offensively and defensively or make strong adjustments, his work ethic and leadership skills will not matter much.
Players will lose respect for him and stop trusting him, no matter how great his people skills are or how much of a “grinder” he is.
