Mitch Kupchak Believes Wes Johnson Could Be Ariza, Cooper Type

Wesley-Johnson-Los-Angeles-Lakers-Mike-DAntoni-While Mitch Kupchak is at the Las Vegas Summer League, Lakers spokesperson John Black shared with the media a private conversation he had with Kupchak after signing Wesley Johnson at his introductory press conference.

—-Want to show off your Kobe love? Check out this VINO t-shirt!—-

Although Johnson hasn’t quite lived up to expectations as the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Kupchak is optimistic that he can develop into a Michael Cooper or Trevor Ariza type player:

“He thinks Wesley can develop into a Michael Cooper or Trevor Ariza type player. Mitch will probably be mad at me for sharing that with you guys publicly. But I think all Laker fans would be very happy if something like that were to happen, as would we.”

It’s likely a stretch, but Johnson seems at peace with himself and is committed to playing his best in the bright lights of Los Angeles. He no longer thinks about trying to live up to those expectations coming out of Syracuse and is finally free to play his game with the help of Kobe, Gasol, and Nash.

This will be the first time in Johnson’s career where he will play with a veteran team that allows him to play to his strengths. While he may never develop into Cooper or Ariza, any resemblance of those players will help the Lakers as they are desperately looking for a lock-down perimeter defender.

Johnson struggled early but came on strong near the end of last season. In the last two months of last season, Johnson averaged 13.0 points in 28.8 minutes.

—————————————————————————————————————–

Did you see Wes Johnson’s press conference? If not, check out our video below and don’t forget to click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

 

You May Also Like

Frank Vogel Relying On ‘A Lot Of Different Combinations’ With Lakers Rotations

The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2020-21 season markedly improved from a talent standpoint after their…

Julius Randle Says Kobe Bryant ‘Checked’ On Him Every Day

With the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, the Los…

NBA Rumors: Lamar Odom to Sign with the Los Angeles Clippers?

Lamar Odom’s future in the NBA hangs in the balance this week…

Lakers News: Andre Iguodala Picks Kobe Bryant Over LeBron James As ‘Hardest I Had To Guard’

After six seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Andre Iguodala was surprisingly traded to the Memphis Grizzlies at the…