Magic Johnson praises Celtics, criticizes Lakers

Is Magic laughing at the Lakers?
AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Former Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson is getting an early start on his Christmas debut as an ESPN/ABC color commentator.

Magic seems to be making the EXTRA effort to prove that he is unbiased, and perhaps alienating Laker fans in the process:

The Celtics are playing better at both ends of the court. You can just tell they want to repeat. The Lakers have been struggling big time on the defensive end, so they have a lot of work to do to come up to where the Celtics are...

If you look at the Celtics, if you break down their team, they really only have one star defensive player, but they play the best team defense that we probably have seen in a long time...

As much as it must hurt Laker fans to hear the face of the franchise glorifying the Celtics, even they have to admit that Magic is right.

Magic himself was never the quickest or best individual defender, but he was always praised for his great "team defense." Knowing where to send players when they beat you off the dribble and knowing how and when to help are sometimes just as important as being a lock-down individual defender.

The Lakers have Trevor Ariza and Kobe Bryant (when he wants to) as their lock-down defenders. Now if everyone can figure out how to play defense together, the Lakers might be able to catch up to the C's...and earn back Magic's praises.