What Darvin Ham accomplished in the last month should not be short-changed: The 48-year-old parlayed more than a decade of NBA assistant experience to earn a high-profile job by beat out two other former head coaches.

Still, Ham is likely to find that, on a relative scale, getting the job was the easy part.

The Lakers have yet to officially announce their head coaching hire, but you can bet Ham is getting to work on one of the most demanding, scrutinized jobs in the league – he was in El Segundo at the team’s facility Saturday.

As a former Lakers assistant coach under Mike Brown, he knows how quickly the pressure can turn up. As a consultant to the stars with a history of player development, he knows how tricky it can be to manage superstars and their egos.

Here are some of the top items on Ham’s to-do list now that he’s the pick:

1. Assemble a staff with experience

For first-time head coaches – even ones as experienced as Ham – there are always bumps in the road. Head coaches have to learn nuances of game management, work on delegation and inevitably face surprises here and there as they get started. Naturally, the Lakers are interested in getting head coaching talent around him, ESPN has reported, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they attempt to reel in Terry Stotts or Kenny Atkinson, the two other finalists for the job, to consult Ham. In the past, that’s been a concern for the front office: They scrutinized first-time head coach Luke Walton’s staff, then took a big role in hiring Frank Vogel’s assistants. How much control will Ham have on who is on his bench?

Recall that Ham is from the Mike Budenholzer coaching tree, which also includes Quin Snyder and Taylor Jenkins. Does he start recruiting back-of-the-bench coaches who are ready for a front seat from one or any of those staffs? He also has the somewhat awkward role of deciding who might stay on from Vogel’s staff, many of whom have experience from the 2020 championship year, but have been in limbo since Vogel was fired.

2. Outline a philosophy that dictates personnel moves

Ham has been on a handful of different teams that had different structures and schemes. In Atlanta, he was on hand for a 60-win Hawks team that was largely devoid of star power but succeeded through an unselfish scheme. In Milwaukee, he’s credited for helping implement the system that vaulted Giannis Antetokounmpo to back-to-back MVP trophies and the 2021 championship. Where do the Lakers fit on that particular spectrum?

While LeBron James will always facilitate certain styles of play, Ham will help fill the gaps that dictate what kind of supporting personnel to get: How do the guards defend? What is the premium on getting shooters versus getting cutters? Will the Lakers play with a traditional center, a spacing 5-man, or will that fall to Anthony Davis? The front office holds the bottom line for roster construction, but Ham’s vision will help inform the type of players they’re looking for – and after last season’s failure, one assumes that a top priority will be to get players who fit in with their coach’s schemes.

3. Hold the superstars accountable

James wasted no time in giving a public endorsement of Ham, whom he played against early in his career when the coach was in a jersey. Clearly there’s excitement in getting a candidate James believes in – does that translate to James listening and compromising with his coach in games?

One of the biggest traits the Lakers see in Ham is his toughness and ability to keep even the biggest names accountable. That went really well in Milwaukee, where Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday don’t seem to have ego-related disputes with their coaches (Antetokounmpo was another big supporter of Ham’s head coaching candidacy). But Ham has to figure out ways to use that respect to get more out of his stars.

For example: James has rarely played defense at the level he consistently brought during the 2019-20 regular season, back when he was hungry and felt he had something to prove after missing the playoffs. Davis also can be pushed back to that level, too, both in imposing more physicality as a big man and being more assertive in getting to the rim on offense. It’s reasonable to expect both to be motivated on their own, but Ham and his staff must direct that motivation into getting the most out of both players.

4. And what about Russell Westbrook?

Because of the uncertainty surrounding Westbrook’s future with the franchise, he gets his own spot on the list. If the Lakers manage to deal Westbrook and his $47.1 million option for next season before October, then it’s not Ham’s problem. But given that Westbrook is so difficult to trade and that The Athletic reported that Westbrook’s role was a talking point in coaching interviews, it’s more than conceivable that the Lakers could have him on the team in the fall.

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It’s not a secret how Westbrook can be a more effective player for the team: Through last season, coaches wanted to see him set more screens and attack off the role, transitioning from primary ballhandler to more of a slashing weapon to the basket. Westbrook can also be more alert on defense: less prone to taking risks and more responsible within the team scheme.

If Westbrook is on the roster, it will be compelling to see if a new voice in the locker room can get him to accept the role that, so far, it seems he’s had no consistent interest in filling. One of the reported reasons Vogel was fired was that he couldn’t reach Westbrook. Ham’s tenure could offer insight into whether anyone is capable of doing so.