Lance Stephenson gets on LeBron James’ nerves, Rajan Rondo can’t shoot, and JaVale McGee is, well, a knucklehead but at least he has great hops and can dunk.
Surprisingly, they are exactly the type of players Magic Johnson told James he’d be surrounding him with if the James chose to sign with the Lakers.
Even more surprising: James was into it.
Instead of adding sharpshooters to the roster the way the Cavaliers did and then relying on James to get them the ball, the Lakers want to pair their new superstar with a plethora of playmakers who can create for themselves. L.A. is also putting a premium on defense in order to reduce the strain on James at that end of the floor.
Johnson’s pitch of the Lakers being the anti-Cavs went a long way with James.
“Unlike most free agents changing teams, LeBron is arriving with the Lakers as an all-time great,” a source close to James told ESPN. “He doesn’t have pressure to prove anything. He wants some changes and he can afford to let the process breathe.”
That process could still reportedly include the addition of Kawhi Leonard this year via a trade or next offseason when he becomes a free agent.
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