Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ early playoff exit, Lakers legend Magic Johnson weighed in on the team’s shortcomings against the Denver Nuggets.
Johnson highlighted the challenges facing the Lakers in a stacked Western Conference, emphasizing the youth and talent of rival teams like the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Dallas Mavericks.
“Laker Nation, we have a problem. All the good teams in the West are young and talented: the Nuggets, the Timberwolves, the Thunder, and the Mavs. And the BIGGEST elephant in the room is the Spurs, who with Victor Wembanyama, will definitely be a playoff team next season. For the Lakers to compete with all these teams, the roster MUST improve,” Johnson tweeted.
In his assessment, Johnson pointed out the Lakers’ reliance on load management throughout the season, which contributed to their lower seeding and eventual participation in the play-in tournament.
“The Lakers have nobody but themselves to blame. They wouldn’t have been in the play-in game or finished as a 7th seed this season if they hadn’t lost too many games because of load management,” he tweeted.
Moreover, Johnson identified a crucial factor behind the Lakers’ inability to overcome the Nuggets: the disparity in mental and physical toughness between the two teams.
“And the #1 reason the Lakers can’t beat Denver in a 7 game series is because the Nuggets are mentally and physically tougher than the Lakers,” the five-time NBA champion added.
