Emotional Magic Johnson explains how to fix the Los Angeles Lakers

It’s been a tough season for the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve been so bad that some fans have deemed this as the most disappointing campaign in franchise history, even ahead of the ‘Fab Four’ and the Kobe-Dwight-Pau-Nash squad.

Multiple franchise legends have called the team out throughout the season. They’ve pointed out their lack of effort, defensive commitment, and Frank Vogel’s inability to make timely adjustments.

More recently, Magic Johnson talked with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated and shared his thoughts on the 2021-22 Lakers. Per the legendary point guard, all they need to do is find their identity.

Magic Johnson Says The Los Angeles Lakers Need To Find Their DNA

(Transcript via The Undefeated)

“Who are we? What’s our DNA? We have to figure that out. Once we figure out who we are and what we do, we have to do [it] on a nightly basis to win, right? How do we have to play? That’s what we have to embrace and find out. Are we going to be this team that, on a nightly basis, we going to go up and down, we going to run? Are we going to be a set offense and feature LeBron and AD [Anthony Davis]?

We just have to figure out who we are. And what we really going to have to do is really buckle down on the defensive end. But I would say this: It’s been a struggle for the Lakers most of the season, and then that Golden State game [Feb. 12], I think they found something. [Wednesday] is really a key to me. Did they find something and will that translate against Utah? [Note: The Lakers beat the Jazz 106-101 Wednesday night.] I told LeBron this at the Super Bowl. I said, ‘Man, I think if you guys play like that …’ I said, ‘You should have won the game [vs. Golden State], up six, two minutes to go.’

We didn’t get those two offensive rebounds which [Warriors guard] Klay [Thompson] turned into six points, basically. They kicked it back out to him, and he hit those two big 3s, and the crowd got going, and Golden State from there just played great. But if we play like that, I said, ‘Man, we could be scary.’ Because that was probably our best game, and we looked like we knew how we were going to win, right?

Before, it was a struggle with the Big Three. They didn’t really figure it out. But it seemed like that [Warriors] game they figured it out. I’m going to see tonight, and I will say this: If they can figure it out, I tell you this, nobody’s going to want to face them because one thing about LeBron in that playoff, man, you know he comes with it when it’s the biggest moments.

If AD can find his jump shot, he’s been doing the other things well, he can get that back. Because remember, every year before this he’s been shooting great, but this year he’s been struggling from the outside. Everything else has been good, so he’s just got to find that, and we still got time. You still have what, 20-something games to go, whatever it is, 30 to go? They still have time to really get it together.”

The Lakers put together as much veteran talent as they could during the offseason but they never developed any sort of chemistry. The clock is ticking and they’re not a playoff team right now, so they better get to work.