Lakers News: Magic Johnson Says LeBron James Will Average Close to Triple-Double

After one half of preseason basketball, Magic Johnson is already sold on the LeBron James-Anthony Davis partnership.

The Hall of Famer went so far as to say James will average "close to a triple double" in the 2019-20 NBA season:

James had 15 points, eight assists and three rebounds through two quarters against the Golden State Warriors. In what's likely to be a frequent image for Los Angeles, LeBron found Anthony Davis for a two-handed jam in the first quarter as Davis dropped 22 first-half points.

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Plenty of Lakers fans will share Johnson's general optimism about the team, but his prediction is a long shot. LeBron has never averaged a double-double, so it seems doubtful he'll go a step further than that in a season where he turns 35.

But there's no question James will carry a massive chip on his shoulder after the Lakers missed the playoffs in 2018-19. Putting up a triple-double over the course of the year would be one way for the four-time MVP to answer those who are questioning whether he's finally losing a step.