One somewhat fair claim Magic Johnson made against Luke Walton in their now-infamous meeting was frustration with the system (or lack thereof) the Los Angeles Lakers have employed this season. But if you talk to scouts or executives around the NBA, even that’s a shallow reading of the situation thanks to the presence of LeBron James.
Sam Amick of The Athletic dug into how the league is reacting to the Lakers’ situation and found that there are a few people out there who sympathize with what Walton has to deal with:
But on the specific charge relating to offensive identity, and this pressing demand for a system that can function beyond the run-and-gun skill that has them ranked fourth in pace, scouts and front office executives alike who I spoke with on Friday were puzzled because of one glossed-over truth.