In December, the Los Angeles Lakers signed ahead Stanley Johnson to a 10-day contract within the hopes that he would plug an enormous gap at that place.
He rapidly proved to be an excellent and energetic defender, and the staff signed him to a two-year contract.
It now seems the Lakers will train the second 12 months choice on that contract to maintain Johnson within the fold subsequent season.
“The expectation across the NBA is the Los Angeles Lakers will train the $2.35 million staff choice on ahead Stanley Johnson,” wrote Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype. “New Lakers coach Darvin Ham publicly harassed the significance of function gamers like Johnson. Johnson shot a career-high 46.6 p.c with the Lakers.”
Johnson is a former lottery decide who had bounced across the league earlier than becoming a member of the Purple and Gold, and he’s a local of Southern California.
Early within the 2021-22 season, it turned clear that L.A. had a scarcity of younger role-playing forwards who may give the staff protection, 3-point capturing and vitality.
Carmelo Anthony gave the staff a elevate offensively together with his 3-point capturing at occasions, however he was streaky and unable to include opponents on the defensive finish.
In the meantime, Trevor Ariza, one other frontcourt participant L.A. signed final summer season, rapidly proved that he was washed up at each ends of the ground.
Johnson got here in and confirmed the power to get stops, and though his offensive recreation is proscribed, now and again he flashed the power to create his personal shot off the dribble.
The primary weak point in his recreation proper now’s 3-point capturing, but when he improves that side of his recreation, he can develop into very precious to the Lakers shifting ahead.
