The 10 Greatest Lakers in history, ranked by Player Efficiency Rating (PER)
By Will Eudy
5. Magic Johnson - 24.1
One of the most breathtaking talents in NBA history, Magic Johnson built a superstar-level PER by being arguably the greatest point guard to ever play the game. Drafted in 1979, Magic was put in a very favorable situation when he joined a Lakers team already brimming with talent.
Though the Lakers had been unable to break through to win a championship in nearly a decade, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in the best player in the world conversation. Having Kareem next to him allowed Magic to maximize his abilities in a big way. In Johnson's rookie season, he helped lead LA to a championship, becoming the youngest player to take home the Finals MVP in the process.
At the ripe age of 20 years old, Magic had already reached the NBA mountaintop and had the world in the front of him. After taking a few years to develop his game, he grew into the best playmaker and assist-getter in the world, earning four assist titles and an incredible nine straight All-NBA First Team selections.
After the 1990-91 season, Magic had won three MVPs in the previous five seasons and was clearly one of the top players in the association. But an unfortunate HIV diagnosis forced him into retirement. He returned to play part of one season in 1995-96, but he was not playing at the level he was before.
Part of Magic's excellent PER stems from him retiring at the peak of his powers, but he could have easily played at a high level into the late 90s.