Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Reasons why JaVale McGee was a good signing

CLEVELAND, CA - JUN 8: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against JaVale McGee #1 of the Golden State Warriors in Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals won 108-85 by the Golden State Warriors over the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena on June 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images /

4. He can defend and rebound well

Everyone knows that defense is the key to winning championships. In addition, as former Laker coach Pat Riley used to tell his Showtime teams, “no rebounds, no rings”. Over the past five years, the purple and gold have been one of the league’s worst defensive teams, and their rebounding has also left something to be desired.

JaVale McGee has been a reliable rim protector and rebounder for much of his 10-year NBA career. Although he has never played as many as 30 minutes a game for a whole season due to his asthma, he has always been productive when he has been on the floor. His per-36 minute numbers for his career are proof: 3.2 blocks and 10.2 rebounds, as well as 16.1 points per for good measure.

In fact, last season (2017-18), he was 6th in the league in blocks per 36 minutes. That will come in very handy for a Laker team that played at the league’s second-fastest pace last year, and plans on playing even faster this upcoming season.

Anyone who understands basketball knows how much better a legit shot blocker like McGee can make your defense. The Lakers have a bunch of guys who are between 6’5″ and 6’9″. At least in theory, this will allow them to switch, effectively guard different variants of the screen and roll and swarm teams on the perimeter. McGee will give them a margin of error, knowing that if they get burned, he can intimidate opponents at the rim.

All those additional missed shots, blocked shots, turnovers and miscues will be like high octane fuel for the Lakers’ transition game. Mcgee can play a major supporting role in bringing Showtime back to Hollywood.

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