The Los Angeles Lakers would be foolish to not keep Stanley Johnson
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Memphis Grizzlies in the second leg of a road back-to-back on Wednesday night and it was yet another disappointing loss, which has become the norm this season. The Lakers led for virtually the entire game before blowing the lead in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers are now two games under .500 and every Laker fan has that ugly taste in their mouth that has been present all season. We were all expecting this team to be a championship contender and it is not even clear if they are a true playoff-caliber team this season.
There was at least one positive in the loss and that is where we want to begin with our three takeaways.
First takeaway: The Los Angeles Lakers would be foolish to not keep Stanley Johnson
Stanley Johnson signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and has played really well for the team. Johnson is exactly what this team needs as he actually gives the Lakers a wing with size and defensive ability that can help on the perimeter.
One of the main reasons why the Lakers are struggling this season is because the defense is so atrocious and Johnson is someone who the Lakers would play in a crunch-time lineup for his defense while also getting an off-ball shooting presence.
He is not an amazing rotation player by any stretch of the imagination but because of what he offers the Lakers, he has a much bigger impact on the team than other players currently on the roster. There is speculation that the Lakers could cut DeAndre Jordan to keep Johnson around and quite frankly, that is exactly the move the team should make.