Lakers finally have NBA Championship depth - Darvin Ham

JOHANNESBURG -- Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told ESPN that the Lakers finally have the depth to win another NBA Championship, admitting their roster was a touch shallow during their 2022-23 season.

The Lakers got last season off to a horrific start, going 0-5 and 2-10 in their first 12 games. However, Ham, who replaced Frank Vogel ahead of the campaign, oversaw a turnaround in fortunes as they scraped into the playoffs, and then beat the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors on the way to a 4-0 Western Conference loss to the Denver Nuggets.

They have moved proactively ahead of the new campaign, retaining key mid-season signings Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura, and re-signing shooting guard Austin Reaves, who has become increasingly important to the team.

Ham, speaking at the Basketball without Borders camp in South Africa recently, told ESPN: "Absolutely [I think we're close to a championship team]. We have leadership like LeBron James and Anthony Davis; some of the talent we were able to bring back in Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell.

"Then, you think about the guys we added in Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes. I think the sky is the limit for what we will be able to do.

"I think we added a lot of depth, a lot of guys that have skill, size and athleticism, so I look forward to all of that coming together."

However, as Ham has learned, having the best players does not necessarily mean one will have a Championship team -- like his 2004 Pistons or 2021 Bucks. He believes there are key ingredients that separate championship sides from teams that almost have what it takes.

"A coach I worked for always used to always say, 'The most together team will win,'" said Ham.

"I think the togetherness [is crucial to separating champions from the rest] and obviously, you need to execute and have a team full of guys who are willing to sacrifice their personal goals, their personal agendas, to align themselves with what the team goal is and that's to win the championship.

"A lot of luck goes into that. Obviously, at our level, you have to be healthy; you have to be in a good rhythm team-wise -- all the guys have to be on the same page. You have to keep your team organized.

"Obviously, in the middle of all that, is talent, but at the end of the day, it's a team sport and the team that's most together -- selflessly putting themselves on the line for the greater good of the team -- those are usually the teams that come out on top."