The 1st overall pick of the 1979 NBA draft, Magic Johnson was a sight to behold whenever he stepped on the court. He was the very definition of the Showtime Lakers every time he took the court with those flashy passes, wicked handles, and unbelievable bursts of scoring. It was easy to forget that this man who played like a guard was 6'9 and could easily pass for a power forward at any time. You can easily and arguably say that he was the greatest player of all time.
Sadly, his awesome career was cut short when he contracted HIV.
However, the Laker legend's greatness will never be defined by his downfall. In fact, he was so great that he could easily dominate the space and pace of modern NBA. Here are the 3 reasons why Magic Johnson would dominate the league.
3. Shooting
The 12-time All-star may not be known as a knockdown sniper like a Ray Allen or a Reggie Miller, but the legendary Laker point-forward can make a very strong case about shooting the three-pointer in today's NBA.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of shooting statistics, let us look at arguably the best shooter of all time, Steph Curry. He is the epitome of how shooting has evolved into the modern league. From the shooting distance and the frequency of using the long ball, All-star point guard Steph Curry might be the culprit on how the NBA has adapted.
Curry's 2015-16 season was his lone season where he jacked up nearly 900 three-point shots at 402-886 shooting for the season. It puts him at a 45 percent clip, which is downright impressive.
In contrast, Johnson's most in a season is 106 makes on 276 attempts for the 1989-90 season. If we multiply Johnson's shot attempts close to Curry's, which we need to multiply by three just to simulate modern NBA three-point aggressiveness, it would put the 5-time champion at 318-828 which is a whopping 38 percent from long range.
To add more color to the picture, All-star power forward Kevin Love is a 41 percent shooter, while the legendary German bomber Dirk Nowitzki is at 40 percent.
Johnson's shooting percentages are not about his inability to shoot, but a preference of shooting during that era. With his amazing offensive repertoire, long range shooting is the least of Johnson's worries to fit in the modern game.
2. Switchability
The strength of “Death Lineups” are based on switchable positionless basketball. With more than one player capable of handling and facilitating the ball, big men who can handle the ball like guards are at an all-time premium nowadays. This sounds like a person we're discussing can fit into that mold rather well, as he's arguably the first postionless player in the history of the NBA.
The person in question is not just your regular NBA chump. This was a man who won an NBA championship and the Finals MVP as a rookie. When it looked like the end of the road for a Jabbar-less Lakers for Game 6, the Hall of Famer pulled out one of the greatest rookie playoff moments in basketball with a 42 point, 15 rebound, 7 assist, and 3 steal performance as their starting center, that would ultimately seal the fate of the tenacious Sixer team.
Translate that kind of output and talent unto the present-day NBA, we could see a player who is not named LeBron James, who could play any position on the floor that could change the game on both ends. A talent like Magic Johnson is the apex of the switchable modern game.
1.Basketball IQ
A stat-line can show how talented and productive a certain player is. On the other hand, basketball IQ is harder to gauge until you see the player in action with his decision making and ability to overcome adversity. If there is anything common about elite pass first guards, it is their immense basketball IQ.
Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Chris Paul fit the mold, but just like it was mentioned above, the 10-time All-NBA selection is just ahead of the game. Johnson's basketball genius translates on how he dictates the game. From passing, scoring, and just doing everything on the court. It takes an amount of higher intellect how to shift from one thing to another. In the same manner, it takes a higher understanding of the game for being able to switch from a position to another.
When it came to overcoming adversity, the three-time MVP was not against the small fry in the NBA. On the contrary, during his peak and the height of his powers, Johnson would take on the likes of prime Larry Bird, prime Julius Irving, prime Isiah Thomas, a still mighty Moses Malone, and an up and coming Michael Jordan in the postseason.
He may have lost battles along the way, but his five NBA championships and three Finals MVPs are a testament on how resilient Johnson has been when faced with adversity.
Conclusion
Magic Johnson will definitely own the league. On offense, he could post up, attack in transition, attack the rim, and shoot the long ball confidently. His great court vision and ability to facilitate will keep teams guessing on how he will create chaos in the game. Not a slouch on the defensive end in any manner, he plays the passing lanes well enough to rack up steals. Single coverage for guards and big men alike will not be a problem due to his physical gifts of size, length, and speed. Easily switching to any position, he can guard most, but will only be guardable by some in the league.
Paired with a genius level basketball IQ that only LeBron James could rival in today's league, the Hall of Famer will most likely outplay, outsize, or outwit most of the players in the modern league due to him being multifaceted. With most players sticking to more cookie-cutter skill-sets like three-and-Ds or stretch forwards, Johnson will definitely conquer the association.
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