Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson was a genius on the floor during his playing career. He has yet to command the same distinction as a team executive, as he continues to find the right ingredients to come up with a recipe for success.
However, the Hall of Famer seems to be convinced that the Lakers are close to being the No. 1 show in town again with all the strings he and the team’s front office executives pulled from behind their desks, per Kristian Winfield of SB Nation.
Magic Johnson: "I watched every series, so I built this team based on what happened in the playoffs."
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) July 18, 2018
If that’s the case, he probably just needed to watch all of the Cleveland Cavaliers' games in the last playoffs. LeBron James was simply particular in the last postseason in which he manufactured a tremendous stat line of 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game. Johnson must have also enjoyed this year’s version of “Playoff Rondo.” Rajon Rondo balled out in the postseason wherein the veteran point guard scored 10.3 points and dished out a playoff career-high 12.2 assists per game.
The Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets were two of the most dominant teams in the playoffs, and both packed insane 3-point shooting in their arsenal, something Johnson did not add to the Lakers by signing James, Rondo, Lance Stephenson, and JaVale McGee, none of whom are known for their knack in draining triples.
Having said that, the Lakers drafted a pair of floor-spacers in Moritz Wagner and Svi Mykhailiuk, so who knows, maybe Johnson is really up to something.