Like many players, Stanley Johnson recently took advantage of the complex situation in the NBA to sign 10-day contracts with the Lakers. When we remember the expectations we had of him as a young man, in particular his good defense on LeBron James in the playoffs as a rookie, it may seem surprising to see that the winger is struggling so much today to find a real place in the big league. It’s even more so when you see the impact he had a few days ago in the Californians’ victory over the Jazz with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks off the bench.
“The NBA is a league of opportunity. The more opportunities you receive, the more chances you get to do something good. That’s what I believe in: the more opportunities I have, the better my chances of performing. » Stanley Johnson
For the moment, as he continues on his third ten-day contract, Johnson, in 11 games with the Lakers, is running at 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. Nothing is yet guaranteed for him, insofar as at the end of this deal, the gold and purple franchise will no longer have a choice: it will be necessary either to sign him until the end of the season, or to leave him. to leave. Frank Vogel he seems to know what he wants.
“What I’ve seen with Stanley is that he’s one of our best defenders. He brings energy, toughness, combat, physicality and defensive versatility. He can play pivot in a small-ball device and can switch to the perimeter. It hinders opponent pick-and-rolls and it allows a little to change the course of a match. He brings a lot of things in defense.” Frank Vogel
What changes with him is that he seems to have matured since his early career experience with the Pistons and then with the Raptors. Today, he seems to be aware of what he is capable of contributing and manages to do it in the right way.
“I think I could have been better on a lot of occasions by communicating better and not being afraid to ask for help when I needed it. When you come to Detroit at 19 or 20, it’s hard to surround yourself with the right people and focus on the right things all the time, especially on a team full of young players that lacks veterans to contribute. .” Stanley Johnson
Without a guide in Detroit, Johnson thinks many thought they were training the right way when they weren’t. We can understand that it is complicated for a kid who has just landed in the most competitive league in the world. So when he arrived in Toronto, Masai Ujiri told him without any filter that he was not at the level.
“It was a very honest conversation and that’s what I needed to hear. In the NBA it’s not often that people dare to say such things to you and it’s not easy to have such a speech towards players who are supposed to be professionals. I’ve played basketball all my life, I know I’m good at it so telling myself I’m bad is not easy. Stanley Johnson
And the most complicated thing is surely knowing how to bounce back after that. Taking criticism constructively and not pessimistically is not given to everyone. Johnson, he struggled, and after another inconclusive experience with the Bulls, his future in the NBA was dashed. Moreover, the situation related to the virus and an entry into the COVID protocol did not help him to seize the opportunities. However, today in Los Angeles he finally has the opportunity to show who he is, and at 25 he seems ready to give everything to prove that he is at the level, knowing that playing at such a level is a luck that few players can seize.
“Even on the most difficult days I was always aware that I was lucky. Who would have thought that I could have done this job for several years? I’ve met incredible people through basketball and I can’t take that as a negative thing. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve been able to experience in my life and I get a lot of positives from it. Of course, everything didn’t go as I hoped, but I’ll never go home and throw everything away and tell myself that I want to give up. The facts are still there: I still get paid to train and play basketball.” Stanley Johnson
Today, in Los Angeles, he even has the blessing of the King, who, as we said, had already had the opportunity to see him at work defensively, against him, from his debut.
“People forget he was a top 10 draft pick and now he’s only 25. He’s a hungry player who wants to prove he belongs in the NBA. He tries to stick with what we’re doing too for as long as he can.” LeBron James
Russell Westbrook also seems to completely validate it and all these speeches seem to bode well for the future.
“During his career, he had ups and downs. To see him flourish like this is something important, not just for him, but also for his confidence, to show him that he is capable of overcoming the difficulties linked to the battles he has had to live through since the beginning of his career.” Russell Westbrook
Today, Stanley Johnson’s days with the Lakers may be numbered. Even if the leaders of Los Angeles could decide to separate from it to keep flexibility, it at least succeeded in convincing Frank Vogel, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, it is not nothing. So even if the rest of his career does not take place in LA, the 25-year-old winger will at least have scored good points to, in the worst case, find an opportunity elsewhere.
Via The Undefeated
