Stanley Johnson’s career comes full circle with childhood dream team Lakers (2024)

While growing up in Fullerton, Calif., Stanley Johnson only had a few channels on his TV. The limited programming included Lakers games, causing the hoops-obsessed prodigy from Southern California to develop an affinity with the purple and gold.

“When I would think about playing basketball in the NBA, I’d always view myself in a Laker jersey,” Johnson told The Athletic on Thursday.

Johnson’s childhood vision was actualized Dec. 24, when the Lakers signed the 25-year-old wing to a 10-day hardship exemption contract because they had seven inactive players — four of them because of the league’s health and safety protocols.

Less than 36 hours after clearing quarantine himself, Johnson was thrown into the national spotlight, playing 27 minutes in the Lakers’ Christmas Day loss to the Brooklyn Nets. His primary responsibility: slow down James Harden, one of the game’s premier one-on-one players, for his hometown team in the day’s headliner matchup.

“It’s kind of like one of those moments now where you’ve kind of dreamed about it since you were 5 and to be able to put (a Lakers jersey) on is cool,” Johnson said.

Through three games, Johnson stood out as the type of versatile perimeter cog Los Angeles could use long-term. His defensive acumen, strength, physicality and athleticism make him a natural fit with a roster that’s shifting more toward small ball permanently. On Christmas, the Lakers were plus-6 with Johnson on the floor in a game they lost by seven points.

“Stanley is huge in what we’re trying to do,” said David Fizdale, the Lakers’ assistant coach who has recently served as acting head coach with Frank Vogel sidelined in health and safety protocols. “With his motor and with his defensive intensity and prowess, we can really use that right now.”

Johnson, who found himself out of the league at the beginning of the season, isn’t just looking to help the Lakers right now. He believes he can help them for the rest of this season.

“You get here and you’re like, ‘How do I figure out how to stay here?’ type of thing,” Johnson said.

Johnson entered the 2021-22 season with the Chicago Bulls and expected to make the official 15-man roster. But when he was cut by the franchise Oct. 16, just days before the start of the regular season, the No. 8 pick from the 2015 NBA Draft faced the sober reality that he might be out of the league.

“I was obviously disappointed by the decision, but I understood it,” Johnson said. “I just kind of took a day or two (to myself) and then went back to training.”

Johnson and his agent, Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports Group, evaluated his situation. They determined Johnson’s best chance to work his way back into the league would be through the G League rather than going overseas or another avenue.

“We thought the best option would be for me to stick it here and shoot for an opportunity,” Johnson said.

That opportunity came quickly, with the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers’ G League affiliate.

Miles Simon, head coach of the South Bay Lakers, called Johnson shortly after he was cut by the Bulls and asked him if he’d be interested in suiting up for South Bay. The two Mater Dei and University of Arizona alums have a friendship dating back over a decade, with Simon serving as something of a mentor to Johnson over the years.

Johnson played six games for the South Bay Lakers, helping lead them to a 5-1 record while averaging 15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 30.6 minutes per game. On Dec. 9, Johnson signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls, the team that had waived him before the season.

“I’m really happy with the decisions that we made as a group to continue to play in the G League and stay prepared because I really feel like without that process and those practices, I wouldn’t be able to be prepared for the games that I’m playing now,” Johnson said. “You can’t not play basketball and expect to get better at basketball, no matter what you’re doing.”

Chicago had been ravaged by losing players to protocols and was still interested in Johnson’s skills. But just two days later, Johnson entered the health and safety protocols and was forced to quarantine for over a week in Miami. The Bulls did not sign him to another 10-day contract.

Earlier in his career, that type of setback might have troubled Johnson. He finally had another shot to get back into the league, only to have it taken away by something entirely out of his control. But with the perspective of a seven-year veteran in his mid-20s, along with some important conversations with his pastor, he was better prepared to handle another mental hurdle.

“I just think through my career, through injuries and different situations, I think there were times where I kind of wasn’t fully prepared for things,” Johnson said. “So the way I kind of work in the offseason, the way I work, in general, is to try to be prepared for everything all the time.”

Just as he was set to clear quarantine, Johnson received a call from Namakian. The Lakers desperately needed another wing and were impressed with Johnson’s play in the G League. Johnson’s preparation met the opportunity he was waiting for.

By mid-December, it was clear there was going to be an influx of opportunities for players currently outside of the NBA to potentially find long-term homes given all of the absences due to the health and safety protocols.

But Johnson didn’t have to think hard about the prospect of joining the Lakers.

He was already familiar with their coaching staff, including Simon and assistant coaches Mike Penberthy and Phil Handy. He was knowledgeable with their system, as the South Bay Lakers use similar concepts and terminology to what Vogel uses with the Lakers. Johnson was also already living in Los Angeles. After clearing quarantine in Miami, he returned to Los Angeles for a night before signing with the Lakers.

Through three games, Johnson is averaging 7.7 points (his most since 17-18), 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game (also his most since 2017-18). Johnson’s defensive versatility allows him to shapeshift within the Lakers’ lineups and schemes. Per NBA.com’s tracking data, the Lakers are deploying him against everyone from Harden to Jaren Jackson Jr. to Desmond Bane — each a different position and archetype.

“Hopefully I’ve shown I’m a player that’s dedicated to learning the system,” Johnson said. “That’s all I’ve really pretty much done as I’m here is trying to be as willing as a learner and as hard as a player as I can play. I know I’m going to make mistakes because I don’t know everything. But as I get the chance to learn, hopefully, those mistakes go down, and they result in our team having more success.”

Johnson’s two seasons in Toronto under Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, praised as one of the game’s most experimental and creative coaches, helped prepare him for Vogel’s defensive system, which newcomers have often said is the most complex scheme they’ve played in.

“What I learned from it the most is that defense is about effort and how much you want to do it and your habits,” Johnson said. “So if you have a lot of effort and a lot of good habits, then you should be fine at any defense. I’ve been watching a lot of film to grasp the concepts.

“And obviously, things like being vocal and having communication, the right verbiage to say things, are the biggest hurdles, I think. But as long as I bring my effort and intensity to the game, and just talk and communicate, I think I should be fine.”

Johnson has yet to officially meet Vogel, but the two have texted and communicated when Vogel video calls into practices, film sessions and team meetings. Vogel was cleared to return to the Lakers on Friday.

Vogel and his coaching staff have garnered praise among Lakers players for the clarity they provide them on the specifics of their role. Vogel is transparent about whether he views a player as a starter or bench player, how many minutes the player should expect, and what responsibilities the player will have on the floor.

“That’s what you wish for as a professional, is just clear instructions so I can do what I have to do,” Johnson said. “It’s definitely something to be grateful for because that isn’t everywhere. … They’ve been totally honest with me, and that makes it easy. So when I go out there, I’m not guessing what I want to do or what I should be doing. I’m doing exactly what I have to do.”

Since Thanksgiving, the Lakers have often been playing with one traditional big man, or no bigs at all, with LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony or Trevor Ariza at center. Johnson has seamlessly slid into such lineups, playing both forward spots and even some center as the Lakers have leaned even harder into their small-ball identity.

“I think the communication part is the biggest part with those lineups,” Johnson said. “I like playing with small lineups. … It’s really fun to be able to play fast, interchangeable positions, five ballhandlers. Really five screeners. It makes the game a little funky. It makes it weird.”

The Lakers, who are just 17-19 despite entering the season as the preseason West favorites, have been derailed by injuries and the health and safety protocols this season. James and Anthony Davis have already missed 21 combined games. Even Vogel has missed the last six games. But when Johnson looks down the bench and sees James, Davis, Russell Westbrook, Anthony and the collective talent, he has a level of confidence in his team that he has yet to feel in his career.

“It’s definitely different,” Johnson said. “With (James and Westbrook) on the court, you have a lot of confidence in your team winning. I mean, I played with AD as well. He’s sitting over there too. … I know in my time in the league, I’ve never had this type of feeling where it’s like, ‘Dang, we really have a chance to win every game that we play.’ It’s pretty cool.”

The Lakers — including, most notably, Fizdale and James — have raved about Johnson’s defense, energy and effort over the past week. He has some important supporters throughout the organization. His first week has gone as well as reasonably possible: He’s played a considerable role, starting and closing games, and has addressed a hole in the roster (an athletic, defense-minded wing).

The Lakers opened up a 15th roster spot Friday, trading Rajon Rondo to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Denzel Valentine, who has a partially guaranteed contract and is expected to be waived. Johnson is now in competition with veteran point guard Darren Collison, who’s also on a 10-day hardship exemption contract, for the final roster spot.

“I know if I do my job to the best of my ability, I think I can make it hard for (Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka),” Johnson said. “So that’s what I’m focused on: doing my job to the best of my ability and winning some of these games here.”

Johnson’s mix of perseverance, optimism and self-belief has kept him in the league. Recent NBA history is full of lottery picks who fell out of favor and never regained their spot. But Johnson wasn’t going to let that happen. He has the self-awareness to humbly accept the smaller role he’s adjusted to over the past couple of seasons.

That’s a stark contrast to where he started. During the draft process in 2015, Johnson confidently labeled himself “the best player in the draft.” And he had plenty of reason to believe that. He won four state championships at Southern California high school powerhouse Mater Dei. He was a McDonald’s All-American. He was one of the top high school and college prospects. The Pistons drafted him as a future cornerstone — their wing of the future.

But Johnson struggled to develop his offensive game. His career averages of 6.2 points on 47.3 true shooting percentage are subpar for a rotation wing. His 3-point percentage (29.7 percent), in particular, has been an issue. After 3 1/2 seasons in Detroit, he was traded to New Orleans, where he played only half a season. He ended up in Toronto for two seasons before being cut by the Bulls and finding himself on the outside of the league looking in.

At this point in his career, Johnson has accepted his role as a lockdown defender who excels in transition and as a cutter. He’s become the prototypical wing needed in a small-ball landscape. His rebounding and energy are welcomed additions to a Lakers rotation that needs both attributes from its perimeter crop.

“I’m not really worried about offense like that,” Johnson said. “Like, obviously, the simple things that everybody’s responsibility is to make your open shots, finish your open layups and obviously move with movement and stuff like that. And obviously, for me, my cutting and being able to score without having the ball in my hand and making shots is a big thing.

“But I feel like, for me, how I can really help the team is really just bringing energy to the game as best as I can, especially on the defensive end. And I think getting stops turns into good offense no matter what. I think the energy I can put into the game is the best thing I can do to help the team.”

According to Johnson, the biggest difference between him now versus earlier in his career is consistency. He’s purposeful with everything he does — how he trains, how he studies film, how he approaches his craft. And as long as he remains reliable and embraces his role, he has a legitimate shot to not only make the Lakers’ roster but also be a difference-maker as they try to turn their season around.

“I just think I’m a lot more consistent in things in my life on and off the court,” Johnson said. “And I think just mentally a little stronger than I was back then. And I think it’s just a process of growth. You go through things and you grow from them. Anybody from 18 to 22 is gonna have an adjustment and from 22 to (25) is gonna have an adjustment.

“I’m just learning it. I’m just gonna keep learning and keep going forward.”

(Top photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)