Mario Chalmers, LeBron’s Former Teammate, Eyeing Lakers Empty Point Guard Spot

Remember the days of the Miami Big 3? From 2011-2014 LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh took the Eastern Conference by storm with four Finals appearances and two Championships. Aside from those three, we all know the great shooters on the team like Ray Allen and Shane Battier, but there’s one player who’s rarely mentioned.

You may know him as the guy who’s always yelled at, Mario Chalmers was actually the starting Point Guard for the Heat, and was a criminally underrated part of the team.

During the Big 3 era, Chalmers averaged 8.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. Although those numbers may seem small for a starting Point Guard, remember that Wade and LeBron often were the primary ball handlers, meaning that Chalmers’s stats aren’t as pathetic as they seem.

When you look at Chalmers’s per 100 possessions, he averages 16.9 points and 7.1 assists. He was a much better player than he appeared because he was in the shadow of the Big 3, and I haven’t even mentioned his 38.7% shooting from deep during those four years, which, especially at that time, was a beyond impressive clip.

Unfortunately, after LeBron left, his production took a hit and never shot even 31% from deep for the next three seasons and he’s been out of the league since 2018.

After the injury to Rondo, which will have him out for the playoffs, Chalmers tweeted this:

If he has put in the work, he may be a truly great pickup for the Lakers, who could use a floor-spacer like Chalmers so the LeBron and Davis can have a greater advantage inside, which they will need to take advantage of against teams like the Clippers of Bucks.

Unlike Rondo, Chalmers is a great shooter from deep when with LeBron so he could massively stretch the floor in a similar fashion to his Miami days.

If the Lakers truly want to win, Chalmers may be a great choice for them. This has been the season for revitalized careers whether it be Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Hassan Whiteside, or Derrick Rose. The old-timers have been having great seasons so if the trend continues, they could get a valuable role player on their team, and Chalmers can finally get himself a new contract.