Originally published by LakersNation.com
As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to struggle on the defensive side of the ball, the team wants to hang onto one of their best defenders. Although the immediate future for Stanley Johnson was uncertain, the Lakers aim to keep him in Los Angeles a little bit longer.
According to a press release sent out by the team, the Lakers have signed Johnson to another 10-day contract.
Johnson has played in only nine games with the Lakers since signing his first 10-day contract with the team, but he has made an impression in that short amount of time. The 25-year-old regularly receives praise from the coaching staff and his teammates for his effort on the defensive side of the ball.
Although Johnson’s outside shooting leaves a lot to be desired (27.3%), the Los Angeles native makes up for his shooting woes with his effort, which has been sorely lacking on the team in general.
The Lakers are coming off arguably their worst loss of the season against the Denver Nuggets, in which the team gave up 133 points and were blown out by 37 points. Johnson may not be a game-changer for Los Angeles, but he provides the kind of defensive intensity Frank Vogel and his coaching staff is looking for moving forward.
In nine games, Johnson has averaged 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Johnson hoping to stick with Lakers long-term
Before signing this third and final 10-day contract with the Lakers, Johnson expressed a desire to remain with the team long-term.
“Hopefully I’ve shown that I can be consistent, a good teammate, bring energy to the court, and just be a good professional overall,” he said. “Obviously the goal is to get on the team and obviously stick long-term. That’s a goal of mine, if it happens it happens, I’ll be very excited about it.
“I think the team is gonna be really, really solid and I’ve really enjoyed myself while I’ve been here honestly. And we’ll kind of go from there, like we have a game tomorrow, I’ll deal with the game, and then after the game we can deal with that as well when it comes.”
After the conclusion of this 10-day contract, the Lakers will have to decide if they want to keep Johnson for the remainder of the season, or longer, or let him walk and enter free agency once again.
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As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to struggle on the defensive side of the ball, the team wants to hang onto one of their best defenders. Although the immediate future for Stanley Johnson was uncertain, the Lakers aim to keep him in Los Angeles a little bit longer.
According to a press release sent out by the team, the Lakers have signed Johnson to another 10-day contract.
Johnson has played in only nine games with the Lakers since signing his first 10-day contract with the team, but he has made an impression in that short amount of time. The 25-year-old regularly receives praise from the coaching staff and his teammates for his effort on the defensive side of the ball.
Although Johnson’s outside shooting leaves a lot to be desired (27.3%), the Los Angeles native makes up for his shooting woes with his effort, which has been sorely lacking on the team in general.
The Lakers are coming off arguably their worst loss of the season against the Denver Nuggets, in which the team gave up 133 points and were blown out by 37 points. Johnson may not be a game-changer for Los Angeles, but he provides the kind of defensive intensity Frank Vogel and his coaching staff is looking for moving forward.
In nine games, Johnson has averaged 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Johnson hoping to stick with Lakers long-term
Before signing this third and final 10-day contract with the Lakers, Johnson expressed a desire to remain with the team long-term.
“Hopefully I’ve shown that I can be consistent, a good teammate, bring energy to the court, and just be a good professional overall,” he said. “Obviously the goal is to get on the team and obviously stick long-term. That’s a goal of mine, if it happens it happens, I’ll be very excited about it.
“I think the team is gonna be really, really solid and I’ve really enjoyed myself while I’ve been here honestly. And we’ll kind of go from there, like we have a game tomorrow, I’ll deal with the game, and then after the game we can deal with that as well when it comes.”
After the conclusion of this 10-day contract, the Lakers will have to decide if they want to keep Johnson for the remainder of the season, or longer, or let him walk and enter free agency once again.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
