NBA IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT

December 6, 2023

Darvin Ham

Los Angeles Lakers

Semifinal Practice Day

Q. LeBron just mentioned the effort it took to get past Phoenix the other night for him personally, how important rest was going forward and just maintaining his normal rest, getting his body back ready for this game. In terms of emptying the tank with LeBron in a single elimination game like this, is this playoff level willingness? Is it regular season level willingness, or is it somewhere in between how hard you're willing to do with your top players?

DARVIN HAM: You know, I think it's somewhere in between for sure. Again, I think it's fun, too, to have -- it wasn't fun being in the moment, but it's intense, highly intense in the moment, but in terms of trying to manage your star players and be efficient with their workload -- it's two things. If they're managing anything physically that's not really preventing them from playing but also something you need to be on the lookout for, coupled with their performance. It's easy to say, oh, just play them this many amount of minutes, but if they're out there tearing it up, it's tough. You don't want to take them out, neither do they want to come out.

It's a combination of that, and then whenever we can get other guys playing well, we're constantly pushing team basketball, playing the right way, playing together. The strength is in the power of numbers. So, when we can get guys, all of our guys, some of our support players, AD obviously being that side by side with Bron trying to make plays, it allows us to take him out of the game and manage his minutes more effectively.

Q. You guys played Phoenix twice and you're going to play New Orleans, could be possibly playoff matchups down the line. Do you think you'll use some of these matchups to actually maybe scout because of the added intensity, maybe something you can use down the line even though it's game 23, 24 of the regular season?

DARVIN HAM: Yeah, every game we play we have our designated sections on both sides of the ball, our themes that we keep in a database whenever we need to pull something out and illustrate something to the team or think about a different coverage or a different play call. We already have that in our database.

Playoffs are a long, long way away. So much can change between now and then. First thing being first is your health, the health of your team, who's available, who's not. But definitely you try to get a feel, and you've got the trade deadline, all of that that could change teams.

You just try to take notes, and again, build out your database so that if you do need to look at something from early in the year, you have the ability to do so.

Q. What's been your early impressions of New Orleans as they've gotten healthy?

DARVIN HAM: I watched that game they played against Sacramento and watched a little bit this morning on the plane. They're a well-balanced team in my opinion, and they've dealt with some injury issues, and they seem to be coming back whole. Larry Nance is not out there right now, but some of their other guys, Trey Murphy is back, Alvarado, CJ, obviously, but they're a well-balanced team. They reflect their coach, just hard-nosed and just go about his business and doesn't try to draw too much crazy attention to himself and just go out there and make plays.

That's how they play. You really have to play at a high level on both sides of the ball. Their physicality, their speed, their ability to hurt you in the paint, hurt you from the perimeter. They have these long, athletic wings. They have a good little energizer bunny in Alvarado. It's going to be a tough matchup. The people should be thrilled because I'm looking forward to a really intense game.

Q. You mentioned before the Phoenix game that early December games teams can yawn through. How much do you feel like this tournament has forced teams to be ready from the get-go because at the end of the tournament there's a big incentive, whether the NBA Cup or the monetary incentive?

DARVIN HAM: Really it's a little precursor, I think, for anybody that hasn't had the opportunity to participate in it and those who have, the competitive spirit, the intensity is very reflective of the playoffs. When you think about it, I think some of the games I've watched from around the league, how intense they are going down to the wire, I think, again, you have a trophy that you can win, you have a big purse that you can win. You've really got to be on your game, and it's similar -- it's funny, it's a split between the NBA and the NCAA with the tournament style setup.

I think it's been great. Sometimes you tend to yawn -- we don't like to admit it, but you tend to yawn through certain NBA games, regular-season games at this point of the year, going into the next 20. You can surpass the first 20, now we're going into the second 20, amount of games. To have this infused into the season and you get a chance to see this high level of basketball played in December, I think it great for the fans, great for everyone involved, great for the league, and just another feather in the cap.

Q. Coming into the first In-Season Tournament and hopefully the Lakers will be able to go and win on Saturday, as well, like Thursday and Saturday, how would you feel with this add up to the team as motivation coming into the Playoffs maybe or for you even as a coach on a personal resume?

DARVIN HAM: I mean, I don't think about all that stuff really to be honest, man. I just think we try to take care of what's in front of us. Right now it's a non-game day so recovery and film study was the priority. Tomorrow the game will obviously be the priority. We're just trying to -- we're getting healthy bodies back, so we're just trying to build continuity and build the best possible rhythm and not skip any steps. We don't fast forward to the playoffs, anything like that. We try to extract as much as we can out of each and every day, whether it's a non-game day or a game day, we try to get better at something so we stay in the moment.

Q. Just curious, now that you're through most of this thing, I'm curious if there's anything you think the league could tweak or change about it for next year to improve it?

DARVIN HAM: Yeah, add more money to the purse.

Q. Anything else?

DARVIN HAM: Once I reflect, I'm sure I can come up with something, but right now just add more money to the purse.

Q. One thing that's come up a little bit is the idea of having some sort of a team incentive as far as like beyond the money, have some sort of whatever it specifically is, some sort of playoff thing or tiebreaker thing. Do you think that would potentially be a good idea, also?

DARVIN HAM: Possibly. Possibly that's something definitely that should be looked at. Maybe it's some type of draft competition as well as the purse, I don't know, something like that. I think it would be cool.

But if you want the players to play at an extremely high level, increase the purse.

Q. You said increase the purse; a lot of players have been saying that. But just want to talk to you about yesterday's game, looking back at that film. We talk a lot about AD but the perimeter defense, Max, Vando, Cam, Taurean, their ability, and being able to see that group finally because I know a lot of guys have been hurt, what are some things you're starting to see with this team in terms of how good you guys have been defensively? They did a great job on Book, did a great job on KD. Give me your thoughts on how good this group can be defensively.

DARVIN HAM: Well, when Rob and myself sat down and started figuring out how we can add to what we have and build around both Bron and AD and then the guys who were returning, AR, Rui, Vando, those guys, and young emerging Max, D'Lo, what can we add. We want to create a defensive juggernaut, if you will, like to try to go out and find some long, athletic, tough wings that we can really get stops.

We know if we're able to be at a high level on the defensive end and we play with energy and pace offensively, we can score in a variety of different ways. We've got a plethora of scorers up and down our roster. But really putting together a group that could be elite defensively, I think that was definitely the top priority, and then you look at Taurean and Cam and Max and Rui, Jaxson, C-Wood, his ability to defensive rebound, all of those guys fit with both Bron and AD.

You saw there was a lot of times where we were in a normal coverage trying to maintain our matchups, but we had to do some emergency switching, and it worked out well because it's like size, it's long, big, athletic people. AD anchoring our defense frees up all of those guys to really be who they are, and that's tenacious, in your chest, in the passing lanes, showing their hands, good contest with their length, and making it really difficult for the opponent. Last night obviously it was Phoenix.

But it just gives you comfort when you have that because defense is something you can basically get right every single night if you just put your mind to it and you have the energy and the effort and the discipline.

I think that was on full display last night.

Q. You brought up multiple times about being healthier, some guys coming back. Especially after last night, what do you see from that group that has come back that you believe is really going to be helping you in this In-Season Tournament, and how important is it to get those guys in this high-stakes type of atmosphere as you kind of try to ramp them up?

DARVIN HAM: I just think the ability to not have to scheme. I mean, obviously you're going to have a counter or you're going to mix up pitches, whatever metaphor you want to use, but to be able to go into a game and start out a game and not have to double-team unless you choose to, and our double-teams have been really high-quality, been very beneficial to our defense, but that says, if you're able to go into a game and able to play people straight up, that creates balance on the defensive end of the floor for your team. If you're not scrambling, running all over the place, that can sometimes create easy opportunities for the opposing team's offense.

Being able to play straight up, have certain guys who are elite individually defensively and then having AD back there, obviously, and then when he has to sit down, you get Jaxson back there, he's just like a deer running up and down, pogo stick, dunking around the rim, blocking shots, as well. I just think being able to maintain matchups and not have to -- at some point in the game you're going to have to mix up your pitches, but for the most part to just start the game and create a foundation where you can maintain matchups, the matchups that you want to have with their offensive threats, it can allow you to see the game clearer and gives you a better opportunity to be balanced defensively.

Q. You coached in the league and played in the league, you also spent time in the G League at the end of your career with the Austin Toros. This opportunity provides an opportunity for those end-of-the-bench players to have not only the money you talked about but more of this experience on a bigger level. Knowing how hard that is for those players across all teams, what kind of opportunity is this for those players, not only just trying to make a living but also to get this kind of experience?

DARVIN HAM: I think it's great on all the levels you just mentioned, and first and foremost being the intensity and the level you have to play at to be successful in this type of environment. Our young guys are just on the edge of their seats and you can hear them talking after the game about how hard everyone is playing.

That's the thing, the main key thing that they need to see as young, upcoming, potential regular pros, perennial pros I should say. If they want to have any type of longevity in this business on the court, you first look at the effort that it takes, the competitive spirit of the guys that you look up to that necessarily don't have to play that hard they think, just can rely on talent. Well, that's not the case. This type of environment brings out your competitive spirit, and I think first and foremost -- the money is great. We all laugh and joke about the money, and the money is always the focus. But really as a professional, you look at the approach, the mental approach, the competitive spirit, and again, the effort that's given throughout the course of the game possession by possession.