Stanley Johnson – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Lakers player grades: LeBron James, Stanley Johnson lead win vs. Jazz

Here is how the Los Angeles Lakers graded from a strong win against the Utah Jazz.

The Los Angeles Lakers got back to .500 after a convincing win against the Utah Jazz, 101-95.

Los Angeles came into this game looking to bounce back after getting drubbed by the Denver Nuggets by 37 points, but playing against the Jazz (now 29-15) presented a difficult opponent to defeat.

However, the Lakers held their own in the first half and even posted an 11-point lead during the second quarter. But that lead didn’t last long, as Utah answered with a 32-20 difference in the third quarter.

The Jazz took a 10-point lead, but the Lakers showed their resilience. Stanley Johnson was the catalyst in the final quarter, where he scored 10 of his 15 points.

Los Angeles came back to win and are now 22-22 on the season. Here is how the squad graded:

Report: Lakers to sign Stanley Johnson to last 10-day deal Monday

The Los Angeles Lakers will keep Stanley Johnson for 10 more days before the main decision comes.

The Los Angeles Lakers are planning to sign Stanley Johnson to a 10-day deal Monday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

This is Johnson’s third 10-day deal with the team. The NBA allows teams to sign a player for a maximum of two 10-day contracts, but Johnson’s first came via the hardship exemption due to COVID-19, so that didn’t allot towards the count.

Once this deal expires next week, the Lakers will need to make the ultimate decision on Johnson for the remainder of the season: either L.A. gives him the final open spot on the roster (for now) or lets him walk as an unrestricted free agent.

Johnson has expressed his desire to stay with the team for the rest of the year given the size, energy and intensity he has brought on a consistent basis, so it’ll be interesting to see how Los Angeles approaches this. Maybe the Lakers trade or let go of Kent Bazemore and/or DeAndre Jordan, two players L.A. reportedly wants to move on from.

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Lakers officially sign Stanley Johnson to second 10-day deal

The Los Angeles Lakers announced Thursday Stanley Johnson is returning for another stint.

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Stanley Johnson to a second 10-day contract, the team announced Thursday.

This news was first reported Wednesday, and the Lakers are now welcoming the 25-year-old forward back into the fold after he didn’t play in Tuesday’s win against the Sacramento Kings.

Johnson played in five games during his first 10-day stint, including three starts in Los Angeles’ small-ball lineup with LeBron James at center. He averaged 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 25.2 minutes while shooting 45.8% overall and 25% from deep.

The energy and intensity he brings on both ends of the floor always ignited the Lakers, a unit that has often struggled with those traits this season. With Johnson back, the Lakers maintain roster flexibility with Rajon Rondo’s departure and get a longer look at Johnson before financially committing to him for the rest of the year.

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Lakers to sign Stanley Johnson to second 10-day contract Thursday

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to bring back Stanley Johnson for another 10-day stint.

The Los Angeles Lakers are likely to sign Stanley Johnson to a 10-day contract Thursday, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

This would be Johnson’s second 10-day stint with the franchise. The 25-year-old forward appeared in five games during his first span and started in three games as a small-ball power forward.

The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 25.2 minutes per game on 45.8% shooting overall and 25% from deep.

He earned the praise of LeBron James for the energy and intensity he brought every single game he played in, which seemed to affect how his teammates played.

By signing Johnson to a 10-day instead of the final roster spot left open in the aftermath of the Rajon Rondo trade, the Lakers save some money and maintain roster flexibility for a little longer before committing to Johnson for the remainder of the season.

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LeBron James commends Stanley Johnson’s presence for Lakers

LeBron James had good things to say about the energy Stanley Johnson has provided the Los Angeles Lakers.

With health and safety protocols due to COVID-19 altering the landscape of the 2021-22 NBA season, teams have struggled to find ways around it. That’s been true for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Though the Lakers have no more players in the protocol, that wasn’t the case about a week ago. Los Angeles was among the teams missing multiple key rotation players, so the league allowed franchises to sign replacement players to make up for it.

The Lakers took advantage of it and used one of the spots to sign forward Stanley Johnson, a former first-round pick in 2015.

Johnson made his debut on Christmas Day against the Brooklyn Nets, and he immediately introduced a newfound sense of energy and effort that has routinely plagued the Lakers this season.

The 25-year-old forward has now played in four games, including two starts, and is worthy of staying on the roster longer.

After the Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers by 33 points, a game in which Johnson scored 10 on 3-of-4 shooting, LeBron James explained how Johnson, who started the season with the South Bay Lakers, acclimated to L.A. so quickly.

“He’s picked up our system really fast, and part of it is because he was with South Bay, and that gave him a cheatsheet, which we needed. And he brought in some toughness at the wing position and also some defensive toughness as well,” James said.

James hopes Johnson can maintain his form moving forward.

“That’s where we hang our hats at over the last three years: the defensive side of the floor. He’s a guy that’s hungry,” James said. “Obviously, he’s trying to earn a roster spot. You could tell he’s hungry, and it’s been great basketball since the Christmas Day game, the road trip, Houston, Memphis and tonight once again, and hopefully, it continues.”

If the Lakers want to keep Johnson on the main roster, there is an open spot. L.A. traded Rajon Rondo to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Denzel Valentine, but Valentine is expected to be waived.

That would free a slot for Johnson, who has been immense for this squad. It would be a major loss if the Lakers didn’t retain him.

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LeBron James praises Stanley Johnson after promising debut

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James lauded Stanley Johnson’s season debut against the Brooklyn Nets.

The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled mightily to show consistent energy and effort for 48 minutes, so when Stanley Johnson took the floor in his debut, it didn’t take long for him to insert himself as a key presence.

Johnson, who is signed on a 10-day contract, played 27 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets. Despite the tough loss, he stood out in every minute he played.

The 25-year-old forward provided constant energy, which is a trait the Lakers haven’t been accustomed to this season. He was all over the court on defense, especially when trying to contain James Harden.

After the game, LeBron James praised Johnson for the way he played.

“Energy and effort, and I thought Stanley was phenomenal,” LeBron said. “Just taking the challenge on James (Harden) and obviously, James did what he does, but I think he just took the challenge.”

Johnson, who had played for the South Bay Lakers in the G League this season, explained how he fit in almost seamlessly despite fouling five times.

“I think it’s pretty easy. I kind of ask some questions and knew what was expected of me. I like to say that I can play defense at a high level,” Johnson said. “I’ve got to be smart with the fouls. I’m very confident in that part of my game. I’ve been doing that for a while, pretty strong.”

Johnson said he can improve on his performance after watching the film with the coaching staff. He proved he needs to be on the court because the Lakers fed off of his energy, so it’ll be interesting to see how many minutes he gets the next time out.

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Lakers signing Darren Collison, Stanley Johnson to 10-day deals

The Los Angeles Lakers Friday signed two more players to 10-day deals via hardship exemption.

The Los Angeles Lakers are signing Darren Collison and Stanley Johnson to 10-day deals via hardship exemption, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Collison, 34, makes his NBA comeback after retiring in 2019. He pondered returning multiple times since and had been linked to the Lakers during those times, but a deal never came to fruition.

Collison has long been a facilitating, pass-first point guard who could hit open catch-and-shoot looks, but how he’ll play after being out for so long is unknown.

Johnson joined the South Bay Lakers, the G League affiliate, to start the season and is a strong defender despite not developing into an average shooter.

The Chicago Bulls had picked him up recently, but now he returns for a stint with Los Angeles, a team short on forward depth with Trevor Ariza out in the league’s health and safety protocol.

Collison’s addition could put Isaiah Thomas’ spot on the roster in jeopardy. Thomas signed a 10-day deal last week but hasn’t impressed in the last few games because of poor shooting combined with inadequate defense.

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Explaining the NBA’s hardship exception and the free agents who signed as replacement players

Explaining what hardship exceptions and replacement players mean as COVID-19 protocols hit the NBA.

As the omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread, the NBA has required a large share of “replacement players” to fill in for the players who are in health and safety protocols. And so far, more than 100 players have reportedly entered the league’s health and safety protocols so far this month, per ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.

But how exactly do the “replacement players” work?

Essentially, the NBA’s hardship exception allows teams to exceed the 15-man roster limit if more than three players on the roster are each going to miss extended time due to illness or injury. Typically, teams weren’t allowed to apply for the hardship exception before Jan. 5.

But starting last season, the league changed the policy to allow earlier exceptions. And as of earlier this week, effective Dec. 19 until Jan. 19, the NBA is allowing teams to sign one replacement player for each player on their roster who tests positive for COVID-19.

While there are some big names (e.g. Isaiah Thomas, Lance Stephenson, CJ Miles) who have signed as replacement players, there are lots of promising young NBA hopefuls who are hoping to use this opportunity as a chance to stick around the league.

Not all of the players below were signed through hardship exceptions and some transactions (e.g. DeMarcus Cousins and Wesley Matthews to the Milwaukee Bucks) may have happened anyway during a normal season.

But below, based on the NBA’s transaction log and reporting from the league’s top insiders, you can find a live tracker of all the players who have signed new deals with NBA teams over the course of the past month.

Bulls sign South Bay Lakers veteran forward Stanley Johnson

The Chicago Bulls picked up a veteran forward from the Los Angeles Lakers’ G League team.

The Chicago Bulls have signed South Bay Lakers forward Stanley Johnson, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The signing is via hardship exemption because the Bulls have several players in health and safety protocols, including DeMar DeRozan.

Johnson went to training camp with the Bulls but didn’t make the cut for the 15-man roster.

The former No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft joined South Bay in mid-November. In six games, Johnson averaged 15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 steals while shooting 40.5% overall on 12.3 attempts and 28.6% from deep on 5.8 attempts.

His defensive presence at the forward position could’ve been useful for the Los Angeles Lakers, a team short on depth in that department, but that didn’t happen.

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South Bay Lakers acquire former first-round pick Stanley Johnson

The South Bay Lakers of the G League added a former first-round pick to the roster.

The South Bay Lakers announced Wednesday Stanley Johnson is joining the roster.

Johnson, who was picked at No. 8 by the Detroit Pistons in the 2015 NBA draft, is a six-year veteran who will provide plenty of experience to the roster. Andre Ingram and Frank Mason III are among the veterans on the squad.

Johnson played 61 games with the Toronto Raptors last year, primarily at power forward. At 6-foot-6, defense at the forward spot has always been his main skill, but his offensive deficiencies are why he’s bounced around the basketball spectrum.

He has a career field goal percentage of 37.5% and a career 3-point percentage of 29.8%.

The only way the Los Angeles Lakers could use his size is if a player is released. Avery Bradley is on a non-guaranteed deal, but it’s unclear if L.A. would want to let go of a proven performer at both ends of the court for an undersized forward who excels at only one end.

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