Wesley Johnson: A Worthy Starter?

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A starting lineup is usually composed of the most talented players by position. Sometimes, a lineup needs to be balanced out based on team need.  That is the case for Wesley Johnson.

Byron Scott’s coaching philosophy places great importance on defense and energy. This blends well with Wesley Johnson’s talent.  Though he was a highly touted lottery pick out of Syracuse, he wasn’t chosen for tremendous scoring skills.

Wesley Johnson has tremendous athleticism and great energy.  Those two qualities, combined with his 7’1″ wingspan allow him to be a solid defender.  He excels with a faster paced game, full of transition points, shots taken early in the clock, and open corner 3-point shots.

That makes him the Lakers’ 3-and-D player.

Last year, Wesley Johnson shot a career high 36.9% behind the 3-point line.  According to Basketballreference.com, Wesley Johnson’s shooting percentage from 3′ to the 10′ area is 37%, while his shooting percentage from the 10′ mark to the 3-point line is 34.1%.  However, he finishes at the rim at a 63.9% rate.  While his isolation skills and midrange game are lacking, this gives players like Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Nick Young room to operate inside the arc.  Still, four years into the league, he is not completely comfortable with the NBA three-point line.  Out of Syracuse, he shot 41.5% behind the NCAA arc, and showed tremendous upside as a knockdown shooter.

Early last season, he demonstrated his perimeter shooting skills against the Detroit Pistons, hitting 6, 3-point shots for a total of 27 points.  Dawk Ins provides a great highlight video on YouTube.

Defensively, he is Kobe Bryant’s relief.  He can switch between small forwards and shooting guards.  He has the length of Scottie Pippen along with quickness, speed, and great vertical ability.  While he doesn’t have the defensive IQ that Scottie Pippen had, the physical skills are there.  In 28.4 minutes played last year, he averaged 1.1 steals and 1 block per game.  While those are solid numbers, that is a considerable drop off from his 1.7 steals per game and 1.8 blocks per game in 35 minutes of play out of Syracuse.  But, like his three-point shooting percentage, those 1.1 steals and 1 block per game were also career highs.

He had a bit of a break out year last season.  This upcoming season under Coach Byron Scott should be an easier transition.  The offense will be kept simple for him.  Hopefully he can break out of his offensive shell and put his athletic acrobatics onto full display.