Rob Pelinka

lalnkioski

The Lakers GM and Head Coach speak to the media prior to training camp opening next week.

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Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham Press Conference 9/28/23

Mike Trudell

Coming off an impressive playoff run, the Lakers enter the 2023-24 season full of optimism buoyed by continuity in key roster spots, plus an injection of new talent.&nbsp;

On Thursday afternoon at the team’s practice facility, Lakers VP of Basketball Ops Rob Pelinka and Head Coach Darvin Ham expressed their collective hopes and goals for a season in which the ultimate goal will be delivering the 18th&nbsp;Larry O’Brien trophy to Los Angeles.

“I think back to Feburary and the trade deadline; obviously, we collectively made some moves, ended the season strong with one of the top defenses, one of the top overall records post trade deadline,” opened Pelinka. “We talked about that as being pre-agency, which sort of led us into July, where our theme was continuity, and bringing our group back that was a Western Conference Finals team and trying to improve around the edges. We put in the work to affect that plan, and execute that plan, and are especially proud that five players, really as part of free agency and extensions.”&nbsp;

Of returnees Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt, Pelinka said: “We chose them and they chose us … that’s a powerful statement that we have something significant going on here. It’s really centered around the work that that group is going to put in as we head into the season.”

On top of that retained talent was the addition of supporting players like Gabe Vincent, Christian Wood, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes, which gives Ham a lot to consider when coupled with the aforementioned Lakers from the playoff run, plus of course, LeBron James as well as Max Christie and a pair of draft picks (Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis).

Ham has been thinking about how to maximize a group with a lot of genuine talent and versatility.&nbsp;

“Just different ways that we can take things to an even higher level,” he explained. “I think Rob used the phrase of not just going after star players, but players that star in their roles. I thought we did a phenomenal job executing that.&nbsp;

“The group has been great, it’s been a great summer, the energy in the building has been great. Everybody’s been working top to bottom, just because they know it’s something special. We’ve re-established the competitive gene that this organization has been known for at a high level. In talking to our Governor, Jeanie Buss, that was one of the biggest things I wanted to establish when I got the job, is to get us back to being a formidable team night in and night out no matter who we were playing, and to represent ourselves in the proper fashion.”

Setting that tone throughout the offseason has been LeBron, heading into his 21st&nbsp;NBA season; Pelinka said James has been in the facility working on his craft, and in the weight room, as much as anybody.&nbsp;

“That really puts the spirit into our entire group, seeing him preparing (like that),” summarized Pelinka.

Year 21 is essentially unprecedented for an NBA player, with only four players even reaching that level, and none having near the level of production in their 20th&nbsp;season that LeBron did as an All-NBA player. Ham acknowledged that roster is designed in part to take some of the load off LeBron so he can enter the postseason with maximum energy.&nbsp;

“That goes right into what’s been said so far, the continuity of building a well-balanced roster,” said Ham. “It goes into making us more efficient in how we manage him. Now that we have, top to bottom, what we feel like is a highly balanced, skilled, younger team of guys who’ve logged a ton of NBA minutes, we can surround both (LeBron) and AD with players that are eager to contribute and impact winning. (And of course) ‘Bron does a great job of taking care of himself.”

Davis has also been a frequent presence at the facility, coming off one of the most impressive two-way performances in the postseason prior to signing his extension in August. It’s not a difficult argument to say that Davis was the NBA’s best defensive player in the postseason, while still scoring at an efficient level, and Ham and Pelinka think there’s another level for him to reach.

“When AD came up for the extension, Darvin and I had great interactions with him,” said Pelinka. “And the theme was, ‘We want to commit to you, but we want you to commit to us.’ And one of the aspects that we addressed with him in that exchange was becoming a leader and being the hardest worker, and he really did that this offseason. I think probably some of you have seen some of the videos that he posted. He was trying different ways to challenge himself, get his body better. He’s been in the gym with coach Jent, Chris Jent, and others. Training more this offseason than I’ve seen with him as a Laker. He’s taken on that leadership mantle and I think he knows that when the franchise invests in him, like we did this summer, he’s gonna return that. That’s just his character. That’s who Anthony Davis is. And we’re excited to see that.”

“Just the cross-training that he participated in and just going through a summer just not trying to remain injury-free but to actually dive into his body,” added Ham. “He came back leaner, stronger, quicker, more explosive. People forget, for a player at his position, whether it’s the 4 or the 5, just a frontline player of his skill set and the magnitude of which he impacts the game, he’s only 30 years old. So there’s a huge, huge road still ahead of him in how he can lead this franchise and hopefully put some more banners up here. But I’m totally excited about him, personally, and the summer I personally witnessed him getting in the gym … It’s been great to see. And as soon as he walks in the room, you can tell. You notice it. So I’m excited for the type of year he’s gonna have.”

It's selling him short to call Austin Reaves a supporting player for LeBron and AD, such was his excellence with the Lakers last season, especially in the playoff run, and then for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup.

“I think Austin’s growth isn’t a surprise to any of us that really scouted him … and helped develop him to this point,” said Pelinka. “He uniquely has that sort of Mamba gene, where it’s all about the work, it’s about playing competitive on every play, it’s about being a great teammate, not caring about the personal accolades but just the team winning. He exemplifies that, and&nbsp;his growth with Team USA, we’re proud of him, but certainly not a surprise. He’s got tremendous respect from other coaches around the league, other players around the league. Darvin and I spent some time around Team USA, and everybody praises him. I think he doesn’t let any of that get to his head. It doesn’t get him off course. He’s focused on one thing and one thing only, and that’s trying to bring another championship to this organization. So we’ll lean into that type of character, that’s a big part of what we’re, as Darvin said, re-establishing and building here.”

Of the new signings, Pelinka and Ham hadn’t yet commented on Christian Wood prior to today, as his commitment came later in the offseason.&nbsp;

Pelinka said he was in constant communication with Wood's agent throughout the summer, as the Lakers were one of several contending teams looking to add Wood’s unique and “undeniable,” in Pelinka’s words, talent as a 7-footer. Ham, meanwhile, coached Wood early in his Bucks tenure as an assistant, and has a strong relationship with the big man.

Ham told Wood that "It's time for you to show that the stats you put up can impact wins at the highest level,” and added that Wood's Lakers teammates have fully embraced Wood to get the most out of him.

“He’s done nothing but try to execute what the coach was trying to put down to him, when I was around him,” Ham continued. “I think he’s going to be a huge asset for us.”

Another player they’re very excited about from a growth standpoint is Hachimura.

“Watching Rui come here after the trade felt like a personal renaissance for him,” explained Pelinka. “He just came alive as a player again. And he parlayed that this offeseason with really incredibile work. He spent most of his time training with LeBron – I think that was intentional. He’s playing with an extremely high level of confidence and belief. I think his strength and athleticism look like they’re at a different level … he’s just literally hitting the take off of the flight he’s going to go on. (We’re) really, really excited.”

Meanwhile, Ham, who often waits until the NBA mandates that he share his lineups, was willing to share that D’Angelo Russell will be his starting point guard.

"He's been great with his communication all summer,” said Ham. “Seeing him in workouts and pickup games; he's vocal, he's encouraging the new guys; he had a couple workouts just with LeBron and AD."

Pelinka also praised his offseason, and how hard he worked in the weight room to gain some strength in his shoulders, and noted the immediate way in which Russell helped balance the Lakers roster last February (+12.2 net rating in the regular season).

There are clear areas for improvement from last season, including transition defense, defensive rebounding and shot making, and its Pelinka and Ham’s collective hope that some of that was addressed in the offseason.

Ultimately, it’s all in pursuit of the 18th&nbsp;Lakers title.&nbsp;

“I think we’re very intentional about the versatility that this roster has, the depth the roster has,” Pelinka concluded. “I think there are upgrades of spacing and shooting top to bottom; that was all done knowing LeBron is going into the 21st&nbsp;year; we have to partner with him to help him get all the way to the end, because that’s his goal.

Now, it’s time to take the court and find out.

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Pelinka and Ham: Preseason Presser

Go into the draft process with Rob Pelinka and Jesse Buss

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Behind the Scenes: Draft Process

With a record of 0-5, to 2-10, and even 26-32 on Feb. 13, the 2022-23 Lakers rallied massively to pull off a trip to the Western Conference Finals, even if they fell short of the forever franchise goal of winning a championship.

“I think this was a season of advancement and growth for the Lakers,” said Rob Pelinka at Tuesday afternoon’s exit interviews, a day after the Lakers lost to Denver in the WCF. “Obviously, we didn’t achieve our ultimate goal, which is No. 18, which is something we always have our sights on, but it really starts by giving a lot of credit to Darvin (Ham) and his staff for establishing a pillar of our organization, and that’s the way we compete until the bitter end.”

Pelinka noted the rough start to the season, and praised Ham and his staff for keeping up the belief in the players throughout, through the final play of their final game (Game 4 vs. Denver on May 22), when LeBron James couldn’t cap off a 40-point, nearly 48-minute effort with a game-tying attempt off a drive to the rim.

“I think that’s something as an organization that we owe to our fans, something we demand from our players and it really starts from our head coach and leader, and the qualities he’s instilled,” Pelinka explained.

Ham was a constantly positive and energetic presence for his players, in his first season in the big chair after many years next door.

“I’m humbled by how far we were able to go after such a challenging start, but we came together to make history, and that process is ongoing,” said Ham. “I have all the faith in the world in Rob, and he and I getting together, really going through the roster, going through the opportunities that are out there starting with the draft, to add to this team and continue to trampoline from this season, and not just be satisfied because we turned it around in this first year. This is a step-by-step process, and I’m looking forward to working with Rob and Jeanie (Buss) and building something special, and getting to our ultimate goal, (championship) No. 18.”

For myriad reasons, the Lakers have not had the benefit of continuity for the last several seasons. That should change heading into next season.

“Keeping that continuity is going to be very important,” said Pelinka. “We ultimately got knocked out by a team that has great continuity, they’ve got a group of players that have been together for several seasons, and it shows in the way they play. That’s a high priority for us. We feel like we have a special group of players in the locker room who enjoy playing together. Darvin enjoys coaching them. We know there is more growth and improvement in that group, especially if we get a training camp together, so I’d say it’s a high priority to keep our core players together.”

Of course, a massive part of that continuity would be the longest-tenured Lakers, LeBron James, who hinted after Game 4 that he had a lot to think about this offseason.

Asked about LeBron, Pelinka said that James, of course, speaks for himself, and they’ll talk to him in the coming days to see how he’s feeling.

“LeBron has given as much to the game of basketball as anyone who’s ever played,” offered Pelinka. “When you do that, you earn the right to decide if you’re going to give more. I think sometimes we put athletes and entertainers on a pedestal, but they’re humans. Just like us, they have inflection points in their career. Our job as the Lakers organization is to support any player on our team if they reach a career inflection point. Obviously, our hope would be that his career continues, but we want to give him the time to have that inflection point and support him along the way in everything that he does.”

“Coming off a tough loss like that, with the work we’ve put in this season, I think I was ready to retire after last night too,” quipped Ham. “But in all honesty and seriousness, LeBron has earned the right to do whatever he wants to do, make whatever choice.”

Ham went on to thank LeBron for being a consistent resource for him in his first year as a head coach, providing constant support, knowledge and communication.

“My transition into it, from where we started to where we ended up, as Rob said, the growth process, reestablishing the competitive culture here, trying to work to get us back to the top of the food chain, he was right there front and center for me and my staff,” he said. “So kudos to him, we love him, support him, and again, he’s earned the right to do whatever he feels comfortable doing.”

In the coming days, Pelinka and Ham will turn their eyes towards the NBA Draft, and free agency, as they look to add to the roster, and surround their core players with additional talent.

“It’s all about the work here,” Pelinka explained. “None of us get caught up in accolades. If you stay focused on the work, the results come. I said (to Darvin): Campaign No. 2 starts today. We have the 17th pick in the draft, and the 47th pick in the draft. We pivot from the growth and learning lessons of this season to now building towards next year, and making sure our advancements continue.”

The Lakers had several young players, with Austin Reaves in particular, step up in a big way this season. Pelinka was asked about Reaves, and how much a part of L.A.’s future he might be.

“There are certain rules with the CBA where we can’t talk about free agency until July, but I’d say this resoundingly clear, our intentions are to keep our core of young guys together,” said Pelinka. “We saw incredible growth and achievement in guys like Rui, Austin, Vando, D-Lo. We have a lot of great young players. We want to do our best to fit the puzzle together … in a way that will help us compete for a championship.

“Austin in particular had an incredible year. He defines really what’s at the heart of playing for the Lakers. He’s a selfless, team-first guy. He lives in the gym. He loves the big moment. He’s been able to meet the big moment. I think he’s a guy that that, regardless of what his deal is, I don’t think it’s going to change him as a person. We’ll hang our hat on guys like that that compete, love the game, love their teammates. We’re proud to have him as part of this franchise, and again, without talking about specific players, we’ll do our best to keep this group intact, growing and getting better each year.”

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Pelinka, Ham Summarize 2022-23 Season

GM Rob Pelinka and Head Coach Darvin Ham spoke to the media following the Lakers 2022-23 season.

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End of Season Interviews - Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham (5-23-23)

As the 2022-23 NBA season officially started for the Lakers at the UCLA Health Training Center for the team’s Media Day on Monday morning, new coach Darvin Ham wants to turn the page on an injury-plagued, disappointing previous season to focus on what’s ahead.

“I'm extremely excited,” he said. “Last year was what it was; there were a variety of circumstances that led to the team playing the way they did, and the lack of success the team had last year through COVID, injuries ... this year, we've turned the page. We're looking out the windshield, not so much through the rearview mirror. We’re excited about the group (VP of Basketball Ops) Rob (Pelinka) and I have put together.

“We’re excited about the summer we’ve had thus far. I think we’re going to create an identity, establishing a defensive identity, that competitive nature, that competitive energy throughout the environment. Last year was last year, this year is a whole new chapter.”

Entering his 20th NBA season, a feat only nine other players have accomplished, LeBron James echoed his new coach’s emphasis on defense.

“Teams that can defend and can get stops when needed, they’re just simply more successful on our league, so the defensive side of the floor is where we’re gonna be hammering home on every single day,” said LeBron. “And understanding that we can defend, make teams take tough shots, keep them to one shot at the goal and rebound and secure the ball, puts us in position to be successful.”

The team’s best defensive player, Anthony Davis, has been speaking with Ham about that side of the floor over the past few months.

“We’ve had some great conversations – a lot about, honestly, defensively,” said AD. “That’s what he leaves his hat on. That’s what he wants us to be is one of the best teams defensively in this league. That goes for everybody on this roster. With me being a defensive-minded guy, he’s asking me questions because I’m used to doing things a certain way.”

Pelinka and his staff acquired several players with a history of defensive intensity and competitiveness, like Patrick Beverley, Dennis Schroder and Juan Toscano-Anderson, to try and better compliment LeBron and AD.

“Darvin and I have spent hundreds of hours going over and over again how we want this team to reflect some of the qualities he stands for the most,” said Pelinka. “Our Lakers fans deserve one thing –&nbsp; a team that's going to compete the hardest (of any team) in the NBA. That’s what Darvin stands for as a coach; he’s got strong shoulders and a tough mindset, and we wanted to make sure there are guys on our roster that reflected those qualities."

Of course, one of L.A.’s biggest issues since their 2020 NBA title has been an inability to get both LeBron and AD on the floor at the same time. LeBron has played 45 and 56 games in the two previous seasons, and Davis even fewer, 76 of the 154.

“The focus of my game is being available,” said LeBron. “That’s the most important. Obviously some injuries you can’t control, but that’s my whole mindset. I think for me, as the leader of the team – one of the leaders of the team – availability is the most important thing in this league. You’ve gotta be available and on the floor. That’s always been my mindset.”

The Lakers have certainly improved from last season in terms of guard depth, with Russell Westbrook, Beverley, Austin Reaves, Kendrick Nunn, Lonnie Walker IV and Troy Brown Jr. all fighting for minutes. The depth in the frontcourt is less proven behind the two stars. Looking to improve the roster, particularly with LeBron James on the roster, is a constant pursuit, but will also depend upon what’s available.

“Let me be abundantly clear: we have one of the great players in LeBron James to ever play the game on our team, and he committed to us with a long-term contract, a three-year contract,” Pelinka explained. “So of course, we will do everything we can, picks included, to make deals to give us a chance to help LeBron get to the end …&nbsp; But let me also clear … You have one shot to make a trade with multiple picks, so if you make that trade, it has to be the right one. So we’re being very thoughtful around the decisions on when and how to use draft capital in a way that will improve our roster. And again, we’re committed to doing everything we can to put the best team around LeBron, as long as it’s a smart trade.”

LeBron, AD and Westbrook were not on the court together a ton last season, but even when they were, they didn’t live up to external or internal expectations. With that said, multiple Lakers expressed optimism towards improvement this season, including LeBron.

“Looking forward to being on the part of the journey with him this year, and it’s gonna be a great year for him, and we’re gonna be right there with him,” said James. “We’re here, and it starts tomorrow. It’s all about putting in the work, and you put in the work, you see the results. So, looking forward to it.”

Easing the transition into a new season for Westbrook has been his budding relationship with his new coach.

“Very beneficial,” said Westbrook of his conversations with Ham. “Being able to talk and understand about things we want to do, and how we want to do them.”

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Lakers Open 2022-23 Campaign with Media Day

Rob and Darvin take questions on Lakers Media Day 2022

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Lakers Media Day 2022 - Rob Pelinka and Darvin Ham

The trade deadline came and went on Thursday afternoon, and after days spent discussing possible deals with 29 other teams, Rob Pelinka said the Lakers didn’t find one that made enough sense to complete.

“We were aggressive in a lot of conversations trying to improve the team – we always want to put this team in the best position to win a championship,” L.A.’s VP of Basketball Ops said on a conference call. “But ultimately we didn’t find a deal that had a net positive effect for the short term success of the team and the long term, and those are both things we consider.”

The Lakers (26-30) have struggled during this 2021-22 season, battling through injuries to most of the roster, and notably, LeBron James (17 games missed) and Anthony Davis (21 games missed). Most recently, L.A. lost back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday to fall four games below .500, which has them in the No. 9 spot in the West.

And yet, if the right deal wasn’t there, the Lakers weren’t going to make it. They’ll look for some internal improvement, starting with health, which could include the eventual debut of Kendrick Nunn. He was set to be their backup point guard, and perhaps feature in closing lineups, but a bone bruise in his knee has kept him off the floor all season. Pelinka said they hope he’s able to return in late March.

Pelinka added that the Lakers have “Shown the ability to be nimble on the fly,” by adding Stanley Johnson from their G-League roster, elevating Austin Reaves from a two-way deal in the offseason and picking vet Avery Bradley up off waivers.

The other way to improve this season’s roster is via the buyout market. Most recently, the acquisition of Markieff Morris in that way, in March of 2020, helped the Lakers win the championship. That, of course, remains the only goal moving forward, as well.

“It’s important to remember that the metric of success here is, you win a championship or we don’t,” Pelinka explained. “There’s no middle ground. We have to be on a pathway to put this team in a position to try and compete for and win championships. That takes the support of one another, and I know that’s going on internally despite what others might say.

“When it comes to finding success when a team is not winning, I think the most important action is for everyone to look in the mirror and be better. That includes the front office, it includes the coaches, it includes the players.”