LeBron James: 5 Things the Miami Heat Star Can Learn from Magic Johnson

When LeBron James joined the Miami Heat, we had a strong belief that he could actually turn out to be the Magic Johnson of his new team.

The both of them played well at running the point and also had height and physical advantages at the position when they did run it. It would have also been a better situation for the Heat as well if James would have run the point since the Heat didn't have too many options for the position next to Mario Chalmers, Carlos Arroyo and Eddie House. With James running the point, the team would have an advantage over any point guard and it wouldn't have been close.

It would have been an ideal situation for James and the Heat as James was already known as the primary ball handler and offensive facilitator in his time with Cleveland. James would have ran the point and looked more for open opportunities for his teammates rather than attempting to score on every possession. It would have worked out well since Dwyane Wade has a similar playing style to James and it would have kept the lane open for Wade to attack more without the threat of James attacking on every possession.

Johnson and James surely are not the same player and never will be. But it doesn't mean that LeBron can't learn a thing or two from Magic. James could be considered the next Johnson if he can run the point effectively or just play with the same mentality and confidence that the Laker came out with on a nightly basis.

It's going to be a long offseason; maybe James should get in touch with him and take some notes.

The Art of Being a Leader

You don't get to be recognized as one of the top five players to ever play the game of organized basketball by just being a terrific individual player.

Aside from his individual accolades that includes three MVPs and 12 All-Star Game appearances, Magic Johnson also helped lead five Los Angeles Lakers teams to a championship. He won MVP for three of those finals with James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar taking the other two as each of those players along with Johnson led the team to five championships within eight years.

Johnson was instrumental in each and every one of the Lakers title runs as his leadership at the point led the way for the dynasty. Each and every time he had the ball in his hands and he was dribbling down court, Johnson was confident enough to know that he was the true leader of this team and that what he did was going to lead the team to victory. The five rings that Johnson probably wears on a daily basis is proof that his leadership running the point—and at other positions at times—is what led his teams to victory.

As far as the Miami Heat are concerned, there is somewhat of a power struggle with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, but the same could be said between Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson and how they handled sharing the spotlight with each other. Wade and James need to share the spotlight, but James needs to step up when the team calls upon him.

After two consecutive series of being the focal point of the team's offense, the team was caught by surprise when James faltered on offense and defense and couldn't lead the team in any shape or form. He became just as reliable as any of the inconsistent role players off the bench and it led to the Heat's demise. Much like Johnson did with the showtime Lakers, James confidence is key to winning games as it seems to rub off on his teammates which in turn allows them to play better.

If James wants to bring home a title, he needs to be a leader at the most crucial points. The semifinals and conference finals won't cut it, if the Heat call upon James to lead the team to victory then he's going to need to deliver.

The Art of Facilitating an Offense

When it came to running the point and making an offense run fluidly and smoothly, there was no player in league history better than Magic Johnson.

Johnson led the league in assists on four different occasions and averaged at least 11 assists per game for eight consecutive seasons. At 6'9", Magic had the clear-cut advantage over any other point guard when it came to seeing the court. Opposed to the usual 6'2" or 6'3" point guard having to see through the 6'8" trees running around the court, Johnson was one of those trees who had the mindset and court awareness of a point guard.

Once Johnson had the ball in his hands, he already knew what he was going to do. His eyes would light up and he would pull his usual magic tricks that would ultimately result in two or three points the majority of the time. Aside from already being 6'9" and having terrific court awareness, Johnson used trickery as a huge part of his offensive skill set. With defenders back peddling, Magic recognized that he had the advantage and he would use ball fakes to throw the defenders completely off and not give them a chance to defend the way they wanted to.

While LeBron James is an excellent facilitator, he still has some work to do. James is used to having the spotlight centered solely on him after spending seven seasons on a team where the entire game plan was focused on what he would do next. If his teammates were scoring, the majority of the time it would be because James was finding them for easy looks.

Take a look at the Cavaliers team today and tell me just how well the Cavaliers run an offense without James.

At times, however, James wants to play the part of hero when he should consider looking for his teammates. He should have the confidence and the ability to look for his teammates as Johnson did for his. Instead of dribbling at the top of the perimeter and looking for an opening for himself, James should take the time in looking for a way for one of his teammates to score rather than helping his own cause.

I'm completely aware that James has averaged more than seven assists per game for a number of years, but he still needs to run an offense by focusing on his team rather than himself at times.

The Art of Knowing How to Use Your Size to Your Advantage

At 6'9", Magic Johnson was the tallest pure point guard to ever play the game.

Most players his size were either small forwards, power forwards, or even undersized centers with none of them actually playing point guard. Usually players standing at 6'9" didn't have the speed to keep up with opposing point guards or the ball-handling skills to keep from turning the ball over to the much smaller point guards who are quick enough to steal it.

Johnson was a rare case that the NBA world might never see again. He used the height to his advantage as he could see the court better than any point guard ever could before him. Johnson still possessed the ball-handling skills of a point guard but was in the body of a power forward. There was no point guard in the league at any time during his tenure in the NBA that could physically—or mentally—match-up with Johnson as his height always proved to be an advantage that no other team could respond to.

With LeBron James pushing 6'8", 260 pounds, it's unbelievable to see some of the things that he can do. Like Johnson, he too has played nearly every position on the floor because of just how versatile and multidimensional of a player he is. James does possess some ball-handling skills and has ran the point for eight years despite not being a pure point guard. LeBron is so effective at running the point because he's able to draw attention when he's at the perimeter and set to drive, so that his teammates can find open opportunities.

Not exactly what Steve Nash or Jason Kidd would have in mind when making the assist, but it gets the job done.

James is one of the most athletic players in the league today and he needs to use that athleticism even more than he already is. He has a gift of being a versatile player in the body of a extremely tall linebacker and there is no one in the league today that can match-up with it. When running the point, James needs to be able to cross over opposing point guards or at least feel safe enough with the ball in his hands that he can actually have his body facing towards the basket.

Most of all, he needs to develop a post game. At his size, there would be no answer from any player in this league that could be able to defend him with his back to the basket. He would be the Dwight Howard of his position as small forwards from all sides of the league attempt to play post up defense on James and attempt to keep him as far away as possible from the rim.

Luckily for them so far, James has been just as inept at posting up as Joel Anthony.

The Art of Performing in the Clutch

In 1979-'80, the first time the Los Angeles Lakers would win a title during the showtime era, the team faced quite the dilemma.

Star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was busy doing his scoring thing until he suffered a sprained ankle in Game 5 that would force him to sit out Game 6. With the team up 3-2 on the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers could have very easily seen that lead evaporate considering Abdul-Jabbar was leading the team in scoring at a ridiculous 33 points per game. Instead of selecting a back-up center, coach Paul Westhead chose rookie Magic Johnson to run at the five spot.

Until that point, Johnson had played 92 games of professional basketball so it wouldn't have come as a surprise if he faltered under the pressure considering he was a rookie at the biggest stage of his career and playing out of position. Magic embraced the pressure as he led the Lakers to victory with a 16-point win where he managed to record 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Johnson would begin his legacy with that performance as he would go on to win four more titles.

It's funny how someone's perception of another individual could change so drastically in the span of a few weeks.

LeBron James was being dubbed as one of the most clutch players in the league following the Heat's 4-1 series victory against the Chicago Bulls. James had hit a number of shots down the stretch in every win that series and did so in the series before against the Boston Celtics and the series before that against the Philadelphia 76ers.

However, he became a completely new man against the Dallas Mavericks as it appeared James basically gave up once he couldn't figure out a way to get his offense going against the stingy Mavericks defense. James was unreliable and couldn't hit a key shot down the stretch in any game as he was non-threat throughout the series when it came to performing in the fourth quarter.

James is the type of player that thrives on hot stretches, especially when it comes to his jump shot. In the series against Boston and Chicago, James was hitting his mid-range and three-point shot in the fourth quarter as if it was shoot around for Ray Allen. He needs to find a way to channel that energy so that his ability to be clutch is consistent and doesn't just go away if his jump shot doesn't decide to start falling.

Most of all, James needs to have a strong mindset when going into these pressure situations. Like Johnson or any other champion, LeBron has to channel that ability to be clutch at any given moment and not just when he's riding a hot streak.

The Art of Knowing How to Play with Superstar Teammates

The modern-day blueprint of big threes started by the Boston Celtics was an effort used to bring about three All-Stars and surround them with a supporting cast that was mostly composed of one or two key role players and a number of other players to come off the bench for a few minutes.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics were both two of the first teams to have three players be the main focus of the team. The Celtics had Kevin McHale, Larry Bird and Robert Parish, while the Lakers walked out Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as their focal point. It came naturally for Johnson to play alongside these two as they each had their own individual role.

Johnson was the facilitator, Worthy was the everyman and Abdul-Jabbar was the post threat and the main scorer. It worked out perfectly for the Los Angeles Lakers and especially with Johnson, who had a field day for nearly a decade playing with two of the greatest players to step onto an NBA court. Each player knew his role and welcomed it with open arms as they each fit into their niche and formed a tight cohesive unit from the start of their time together.

The Heat unfortunately don't have the benefit of a pure point guard to facilitate the offense. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will take turns running the point, but neither player is a pure point guard that has run the point for an extended period of time and knows how to play the position inside and out. The Heat struggled out the gate because they had three players looking for a niche as they had not been used to playing alongside superstars, aside from Wade and his brief tenure with Shaquille O'Neal.

Wade and O'Neal thrived because it's much easier to work an inside-outside game when you have the most dominant force in league history on your team.

James has never played with another superstar and he's never not been in the spotlight. He's been at the focal point of the NBA since joining the league as a bright-eyed 18-year-old out of high school, and he's grown accustomed to that so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that James would struggle fitting into a niche on this Heat team with a player who shares a similar playing style and another player who shares just as much attention.

James needs to take advantage of the situation he has around him. He's not the center of attention anymore and he needs to come to terms with that. He'll have to share the spotlight with Wade and Chris Bosh because that's what he signed up for. James will need to develop a niche if he ever wants to fit in with this Heat team and if he wants to start racking up championships.