Starting competition and tactical adjustments, Hamm faces Russell's double request, and the Lakers have good news
Through this offseason's adjustments, the Los Angeles Lakers have once again become one of the high-profile and anticipated teams. After several seasons of rebuilding and failure, they are once again trying to get back to the top. While the team and players seem to be doing well, Coach Hamm has definitely been one of the Lakers' biggest headaches lately.
According to a recent report from Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times: "Russell, the young guard of the Lakers, is looking forward to the new season and hopes to play a more important role in the team. It is reported that he has made an important request to Lakers management: the promise of a starting position. ”
Russell had a great regular season last season, and his excellent ball handling and long-range shooting ability became one of the team's regular scoring tools. However, while his ability was recognized by the team, he did not get an ideal position in the tactical position. According to sources, due to the addition of Vincent, the Lakers are considering whether to let Russell as a backup and give James more control of the ball.
For Russell, he took a salary cut for the team this summer, but the Lakers' decision this time made Russell a little unhappy, but to be honest, there is really no problem playing the starting No. 1 position with Russell's ability. In addition to asking for a starting position, Russell also wants to be more versatile on the field. He thinks he can be the attacking core of the team, not just a "sixth man". Russell's ball intelligence and excellent playmaking make him an excellent point guard, and he hopes to be more involved in the team's offensive planning and build a better rapport with his teammates.
The new head coach of the Lakers, Hamm, faces a difficult task of how to properly distribute the ball and control of Russell and James, while solving Russell's starting problem. Russell, as one of the team's young nucleicle, is eager to have more room to play and more control. But James' presence will undoubtedly bring about adjustments to the team's tactical system for Coach Hamm. So, how to balance Russell and James' ball conflict and enable them to cooperate with each other on the court is a problem that Coach Hamm needs to solve.
Coach Hamm said he would pay close attention to the players' performance and training, and then distribute the ball and tactics according to the actual situation. He believes Russell and James are smart players who will be able to find common ground and bring greater success to the team. Dan Wokie revealed that not only Russell, but also the positioning of the new Prince's team with the Lakers is not completely certain, and the coaching staff has been working hard to adjust the roster in the offseason, but there is no definitive answer yet.
For James, tactical position and possession of the ball are no longer something he needs to consider, because when it comes to crunch, the ball will always be in his and Davis' hands, but at the same time James is 38 years old, he has not much left of his career, and many people think that he will not end his career in Los Angeles. But after announcing that Davis would renew his contract with the team, many insiders picked up a lot of details. "Davis' contract extension comes from James' affirmation of next year's extension, and if James had not agreed to renew his contract with the Lakers next year, it would have been almost impossible for Davis to complete the extension so quickly." Dan Woike said that this also means that James' death with the Lakers is almost a certainty, which is good news for the Lakers.
In general, the Lakers have a stronger roster this year, especially after ensuring the strength of the original roster last season, and also introducing a lot of instant players, but issues such as Russell's starting and ball distribution are things that Hamm must consider in the new season, or hope that the Lakers can go further in the new season.