Magic Johnson appeared on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno on Tuesday, and he shared some of his usual thoughts on the current state of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are 16-30 and are well on their way to missing the playoffs. In fact, they have the second worst record in the Western Conference.
Leno asked Johnson why it is so bad in LA right now. His answer will not surprise you.
“We made a critical mistake in not bringing Phil Jackson back,” Johnson said. “That was a critical mistake. He wanted to come back, then they went with (Mike) D’Antoni.
“(D’Antoni) doesn’t teach defense. I can’t stand to watch the Lakers play because the same play happens every single time — pick and roll and the guard goes all the way in for a layup. We’re 40-something games into the season. The teams run the same play on us. We haven’t stopped it yet.”
Last year, Magic went on an epic Twitter rant and ripped the Lakers players for the team’s struggles. This year, he is placing the burden on the coaching staff and front office. Earlier this month, Johnson said owner Jim Buss is LA’s biggest problem. He reiterated that when speaking with Leno.
“Jim Buss is really going to have to go out and sign a good free agent,” Magic said. “There’s some good free agents out there. You’ve got Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James (if he opts out), Chris Bosh has a chance to opt out. We have to make sure we’re headed in a championship direction because none of those guys are gonna come here if not.”
Personally, I can’t envision Anthony or LeBron playing alongside Kobe. That just wouldn’t work. LeBron would have a better shot since he shares the ball, but there are not enough basketballs to go around for Kobe and Carmelo. The Lakers may be better off targeting someone like Kevin Love — who many believe wants to play in LA — via trade.
Like many Lakers fans, Magic is fed up. You can’t really blame him. The Lakers are an embarrassment at the moment.
