It’s not hard to imagine LeBron James’ thinking as he huddled with his confidants this past summer, working with (or as) the Lakers’ front office in putting together the team he would try to win another title with.
He needed the Lakers to be more offensively dynamic so he sought out shooters, old friends like Carmelo Anthony who could catch a cross-court dart, rise and fire. He knew the Lakers would need to be versatile, so veteran Trevor Ariza became a logical choice.
But so many of those decisions had to have been with an eye on the playoffs, the only place where the results truly matter.