JaVale McGee

Rodrigo Azurmendi

LAS VEGAS – JaVale McGee llega a Lakers con el aura de campeón.

Bicampeón, para ser más exactos. Tras lograr los títulos en 2017 y 2018 con los Golden State Warriors, el pivot fue el elegido para ser la presencia en el corazón de estos nuevos Lakers.

A los 30 años, McGee afronta un nuevo reto, el de devolver a los laguneros a la relevancia, como parte de un plantel que reforzó a su núcleo joven con LeBron James y otros jugadores de la talla de Lance Stephenson y Rajon Rondo.

“Todas las piezas van a encajar perfectamente”, aseguró. “Todos tenemos grandes mentes defensivas. Rondo es muy bueno con los robos, y también en ofensiva con el pase y la visión de juego. Lance también es muy bueno en defensa. Y traerme como protector del canasto y un interno que puede intercambiar (marcajes) es fantástico. (Le doy) mucho crédito a la gerencia”.

McGee se mostró entusiasmado por poder complementarse con el prometedor núcleo joven, formado por Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart y los miembros de la Clase 2018 del Draft de la NBA.

“Los jóvenes Lakers son grandes muchachos”, opinó. “Tipos hambrientos que están en el gimnasio todo el tiempo. Es impresionante qué tan enfocados están en su arte con toda la atención que reciben”.

También de compartir equipo con Kyle Kuzma, con el que comparte raíces.

“Conozco a Kuz personalmente, somos de Flint (Michigan)”, confesó. “Lo conocía de antes, pero el año pasado fuimos a cenar un par de veces. Ahí es cuando empecé a tener una buena relación con Kuz”.

Sin embargo, su gran motivación es la de unir fuerzas con James, tras hacerlo los últimos dos años con Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson y Draymond Green.

“Es un sentimiento increíble poder decir personalmente que he jugado con algunos de los mejores jugadores de todos los tiempos en la NBA”, explicó. “Desde ese punto de vista, es algo impresionante”.

Ahora en la vereda de enfrente, McGee sabe que el objetivo será destronar a sus ex compañeros.

“Es posible pero no será fácil”, se sinceró. “Deberá ser defensa sobre cualquier otra cosa. A ellos les gusta aprovecharse cada error que cometes. Habrá que mantener las pérdidas bajas y jugar defensa, eso incrementará nuestras chances de ganarle a los Warriors”.

Para eso deberá apoyarse en James, no solo en la cancha, sino para que les marque el camino fuera de ella con su ética de trabajo y liderazgo.

“Su motor”, señaló McGee como el área que quiere emular de James. “Quiero poder estar detrás de escenas y ver cómo mantiene su intensidad, jugando los 48 minutos, que es algo increíble. Ser capaz de ver eso será inspirador y enaltecerá mi juego y me ayudará. Ver el trabajo que dedica y cómo nunca se cansa”.

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JaVale McGee, presencia en el corazón de la defensa de L.A.

EL SEGUNDO - Los Lakers han firmado al pivot JaVale McGee, según anunció hoy el gerente general Rob Pelinka. Por política del equipo, los términos del vínculo no fueron difundidos.

McGee disputó 65 partidos (17 como titular) con Golden State la temporada pasada, promediando 4.8 puntos (62.1 por ciento en tiros de cancha) y 2.6 rebotes en 9.5 minutos por juego. El cnetro de siete pies de estatura ha disputado 558 juegos en su carrera (187 como titular) con Washington, Denver, Philadelphia, Dallas y Golden State, con promedios de 7.5 puntos (55.9 por ciento en tiros de cancha), 4.8 rebotes, y 1.5 tapones en 16.7 minutos.

"JaVale cambia la geometría del juego", dijo Pelinka. "Su combinación única de increíble envergadura y destreza de pies nos permitirá jugar rápido en ambos lados. Su habilidad para proteger el canasto y crear ángulos con sus ataques al canasto presentan un número de ventajas en el sistema de Coach Walton".

McGee, un veterano de 10 temporadas, ganó campeonatos consecutivos como miembro de los Golden State Warriors en 2017 y 2018, y ha disputado 44 juegos de postemporada (12 como titular), promediando 6.5 puntos (61.0 por ciento en tiros de cancha), 4.3 rebotes y 1.2 tapones en 14.0 minutos.

Escogido por Washington con el No. 18 en el Draft de 2008, McGee venía de promediar 8.7 puntos, 4.8 rebotes y 1.8 tapones en 66 juegos (31 como titular) con la Universidad de Nevada, Reno.

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Lakers firman al pivot JaVale McGee

Joey Ramirez

Fresh off collecting his second ring in as many years, JaVale McGee is looking to help turn a new team into a contender, as he signed with the Lakers on Friday.

The center position was a revolving door for Golden State last season, with McGee among six players who received significant minutes at the five.

Draymond Green was essentially the Warriors’ primary center, as he would take the position in their famous “Death Lineup.” Meanwhile, the leftover minutes would often be divided up based on matchup.

As such, McGee’s role fluctuated. During the regular season, he played a career-low 9.5 minutes per game. In the playoffs, he collected DNPs in series against New Orleans and Houston.

But in the opening round versus San Antonio and (most importantly) the NBA Finals, McGee was called to action and provided Golden State exactly what it needed at the backup center spot.

McGee was energy and efficiency on the offensive end, then length and timing defensively. In series against the Spurs and Cavaliers, he averaged 8.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just 15.0 minutes, while shooting a robust 70.8 percent from the field.

The 30-year-old’s value goes beyond his counting stats, as he was the type of role player that made his impact without necessarily collecting numbers.

While McGee wasn’t a 3-point threat and, thus, didn’t offer much in terms of traditional spacing, his presence as an athletic 7-footer provided vertical spacing, as opponents had to worry about his ability to fly in for dunks on cuts, in transition and out of pick-and-rolls.

The 270-pounder is also a more nimble roller than often given credit for, and able to dribble or stride his way around help defenders.

In particular, McGee thrived as the finisher at the end of passing chains, as defenses would rush to recover against the Warriors’ many weapons before they lobbed it up to their big man.

In a pass-happy system similar to Golden State’s and on a Lakers roster studded by three elite distributors — LeBron James, Lonzo Ball and Rajon Rondo — McGee could see similar opportunities as the ones set up by Draymond Green and Stephen Curry.

As a role-playing center in the current, switch-everything-defensively NBA, McGee importantly has good feel for when to slip screens, countering against aggressive opponents.

Meanwhile in the playoffs, the 10-year vet stepped up for the Warriors on the defensive end, where the Lakers are clearly trying to load up with the likes of James, Ball and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Using his elite, 7-foot-6.5 wingspan, McGee was a deterrent at the rim, where opponents shot just 10-of-22 against him in the postseason. Any mark below 50 percent is excellent, and McGee ranked fourth among players who faced at least 20 shots.

Plus, sometimes he used that length to make eye-popping plays even away from the rim.

While the sample size was mainly limited to the Spurs and Cavs series, McGee was excellent defending on an island.

So much of postseason basketball is about hunting mismatches, and McGee was rarely taken advantage of, holding opponents to just 4-of-12 shooting against him in isolation and 3-of-12 on post-ups.

McGee does come with limitations. He provides zero 3-point shooting (though he has flashed some mid-range game). He is definitely more of a finisher than a passer. With only 34 starts in his last six seasons (at 12 minutes a game), he has firmly transitioned into a role player.

Still, McGee is a ridiculously long, defensive-minded veteran who just filled his role superbly in the NBA Finals. With the right lineup around him, he has proven to be a reliable cog in a postseason run.

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Latest Laker: JaVale McGee

lalnkioski

EL SEGUNDO – The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center JaVale McGee, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

McGee appeared in 65 games (17 starts) for Golden State last season, tallying 4.8 points (.621 FG%) and 2.6 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per game. The seven-footer has played in 558 career games (187 starts) for Washington, Denver, Philadelphia, Dallas and Golden State, with averages of 7.5 points (.559 FG%), 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 16.7 minutes.

“JaVale changes the geometry of the game,” said Pelinka. “His unique combination of incredible length and foot nimbleness will allow us to play fast at both ends. His ability to both protect the rim and create angles with rim rolls will present a number of advantages in Coach Walton’s system.”

A 10-year NBA veteran, McGee won back-to-back championships as a member of the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 and has appeared in 44 NBA playoff games (12 starts), averaging 6.5 points (.610 FG%), 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 14.0 minutes.

Selected by Washington with the 18th overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft, McGee averaged 8.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 66 career games (31 starts) at the University of Nevada, Reno.

JaVale McGee

JaVale McGee, presencia en el corazón de la defensa de L.A.

Lakers firman al pivot JaVale McGee

Latest Laker: JaVale McGee

Lakers Sign JaVale McGee