Lakers Rumors: Magic Johnson Pitched LeBron James Team Full Of ‘Tough-Minded Playmakers’
LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Lakers

Once LeBron James agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, the attention quickly turned to what kind of team the Lakers would put around him.

GET YOUR ‘LABRON’ SHIRT NOW!

Even before the James signing, shooting was known to be one of the biggest priorities for the team this offseason, but their free agent signings haven’t necessarily followed that.

Re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who shot over 38 percent from deep last season, certainly helps, but Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, and JaVale McGee do nothing to help the team’s spacing. They do, however, fit in with what Magic Johnson reportedly pitched to LeBron when the two met at the outset of free agency.

According to Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Johnson pitched James a team filled with playmakers and defenders that will lessen his burden on both ends of the floor:

What Johnson pitched to James was a team stocked with tough-minded playmakers like Stephenson and Rondo who could free up James to finish in the lanes and from the post, rather than having to create the lion’s share of the offense himself. Rondo and Stephenson are also defensively versatile, as their length enables them to be effective defenders in switches. That also follows with the talents of the 6-foot-6 Ball, who showed the ability to be an elite rebounder and defender for a guard in his rookie year.

This idea makes a ton of sense as the load that James had to carry in Cleveland was far too much. Players like Stephenson and Rondo, along with the young players such as Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Lonzo Ball are all more than capable of making plays for themselves and others, which should allow James to get himself more easy baskets than he has in the past.

There may still be some questions about the team’s ability to space the floor and shoot from deep, but the front office obviously had a plan. Whether or not it ultimately works remains to be seen, but taking some of the burden off James was a key point and they have done that.

Medium Large is looking to add motivated individuals with big dreams and a big appetite for success to our LakersNation.com direct sales team based in Los Angeles or Orange County. If you love sports, know digital sales, and can throw your weight behind an aggressive commission based opportunity than we would love to talk to you. Please apply at: http://mediumlarge.la/?jobs=1576. If you meet our criteria we will be in touch!

You May Also Like

Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Has An ‘Unnamed Trade Target In Mind’

Earlier this month the Los Angeles Lakers made a surprising move to acquire Jose Calderon from the Chicago Bulls…

NBA Rumors: Kevin Loves Prefers Warriors Over Rockets If Given Choice

[new_royalslider id=”196″] Over the weekend, Minnesota Timberwolves all-star Kevin Love made headlines…

NBA Rumors: Lakers Training Camp Guard Briante Weber Signs Two-Way Contract With Rockets

Briante Weber didn’t get a ton of minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers during training camp before the team let him go…

Lakers Rumors: Team ‘Somewhat Torn Internally’ About Rajon Rondo

For the entire 2014-15 NBA season, Rajon Rondo has been linked to…