But general manager Mitch Kupchak retooled L.A.’s roster with players like Nick Young, Chris Kaman, Jordan Farmar and Wesley Johnson, who will serve as great complements to the team’s already-established core group.
Outside of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, there are no bona fide stars on the Lakers. But Los Angeles will have a strong starting lineup once the Mamba returns from his Achilles injury and has a relatively deep bench that head coach Mike D’Antoni will be quick to utilize.
In fact, there will be some players coming off the bench who are even good enough to start on other NBA teams.
Wesley Johnson
The first is Johnson, who’ll likely begin the season behind Young in the small forward rotation, via Rotoworld.
A former lottery pick, Johnson has not lived up to the immense expectations he's faced after being selected fourth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2010-11 NBA draft.
However, that’s not to say he hasn’t played well. The 26-year-old has totaled career averages of about eight points and three rebounds a night while shooting 40 percent from the field.
Johnson has started 76 percent of the games he’s been active in while playing two seasons for the Timberwolves and his last with the Phoenix Suns.
The former Syracuse standout isn’t an elite scorer, but he has the potential to become a premier defender largely due to the striking athleticism he's displayed throughout his career.
According to Synergy Sports, Johnson forced a turnover in 26 percent of his isolation situations last season—an impressive number being that LeBron James, one of the best defenders in the game, forced a TO in just 10.7 percent of ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
