After Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard led Milwaukee to secure the NBA’s second-ever Emirates Cup Tuesday night in Las Vegas, Bucks assistant head coach Darvin Ham secured his second of the same title. The Bucks are continuing their rallying cry from the start of the season as one of the worst teams in the league to winning the in-season tournament. Where they go from here is up to them.
Bucks Assistant Darvin Ham on Pace for Second Opportunity
Milwaukee Bucks Assistant Coach Darvin Ham Deserves Another Chance, and He’ll Get One
From fired head coach to successful assistant, Ham is sitting pretty in Milwaukee. He may very well be better off there, too—for now. Ham won the NBA Cup last season while coaching the Los Angeles Lakers. The headline that gathered a lot of steam was that the Lakers problems last season were not of Ham’s doing. Yes, reports surfaced that certain players didn’t like playing for him.
But what’s more important was how the Lakers played under him, which could have been better. Seeing where that same team is now, and I mean exactly the same because the roster is the same, it’s even more evident that it wasn’t due to Ham’s lack of coaching. It was the poorly constructed roster and the front office’s inept ability to improve it. Nevertheless, Ham was shown the door. However, the good thing about coaching in the NBA is that there is usually more than one door, and Ham is about to have another one open for him.
The Future Is Bright
Ham’s future as an NBA head coach is much brighter now as an assistant than it was as an actual head coach with the Lakers. Doc Rivers offered him a lifeline in coming to Milwaukee as the lead assistant. Just as credit for the Bucks turnaround of late should be handed to Rivers, let the NBA Cup victory add to it. At the same time, much credit should also be awarded to Ham, given that he had won the tournament already and that his perspective and experience were likely invaluable to Milwaukee. Regardless, teams should have their eyes set on Ham for next season. Suppose the Bucks go on to make a deep run in the playoffs. There’s even more reason for Ham’s name to ring louder. There are sure to be a few head coaching vacancies available next summer. Ham should be at the top of those teams’ list.
Watch for the Chicago Bulls
While it’s still relatively early, you can assume that a few head coaching gigs will open up next summer. One team should be in the search for a new head coach, and Ham should be in the running for it. Which team is it? The Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are in dire need of a complete gutting of the roster and a restart as a franchise. Reports lately indicate they are actively shopping Zach LaVine, Nikola Vučević, and Lonzo Ball. Future draft picks are more valuable to the Bulls now than any of those players. LaVine’s contract might hold Chicago up, at least for this season. However, if that’s the case, he will be gone at some point during next year’s offseason. It’s also safe to assume that given Chicago’s inevitable trajectory, the sand in Billy Donovan‘s hourglass is disappearing, too. A complete restart in Chicago should mean its head coach as well. Darvin Ham deserves a second chance, and Chicago should come calling.
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