During their well-publicized heated meeting, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton reportedly asked president of basketball operations Magic Johnson for big man help behind starter JaVale McGee, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Looks like Magic heard Walton's message loud and clear, as the Lakers are reportedly going to sign veteran center Tyson Chandler once he finalizes his buyout agreement with the Phoenix Suns.
Lakers column update from earlier: While Magic dominated the meeting with Luke, I'm told the Lakers coach asked his front office boss for big man help beyond JaVale. Enter Tyson Chandler, who – per @TheSteinLine & @wojespn – will sign with the Lakers https://t.co/gAvPvP22vs
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) November 3, 2018
When the Lakers have JaVale McGee on the court, their defense is 17.2 points per 100 possessions better, per Basketball Reference. However, when McGee sits, the Lakers are arguably the worst defense in the NBA. So, it's not a surprise Luke Walton was begging Magic Johnson to get him some rim protection help.
The Lakers enter Saturday's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers at 3-5 and are giving up a whopping 121.1 points per game, which ranks 28th in the NBA. Luke Walton’s job doesn’t appear to be in danger, but it’s definitely something to monitor closely now.
Once LeBron James, the best player in the world, joins your team, the pressure to win grows exponentially. There’s no way Magic Johnson was expecting the Lakers to be a championship contender right away. But it looks like Magic was upset at Luke Walton because of the offense which was being ran, while Walton is unsettled at Magic due to the personnel he's working with.
Drama in La La land, a tradition unlike any other.
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