Los Angeles Lakers forward Wesley Johnson scored 16 points Monday night against the Golden State Warriors, but also had a costly turnover in the game’s closing seconds as the Lakers couldn’t overcome the Warriors’ talent.
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Johnson’s scoring numbers have improved during the second half of the season. He missed practice last week dealing with a sore calf but has played in the games since then. According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, Johnson is dealing with another minor injury but won’t miss time:
Latest Laker medical update: Wesley Johnson has a sprained right elbow but will keep playing. No word yet on status of Nick Young's knee.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) March 17, 2015
The injury bug has definitely hit the Lakers this season as the team has already had season-ending injuries to Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle and Ronnie Price. In addition, Nick Young continues to remain sidelined with a swollen left knee and received a CT scan to get further diagnosis.
While Nash’s career is over, the Lakers will have Bryant and Randle back next season. The two players will meet and workout together over the summer as Bryant will look to work on Randle’s footwork. During the upcoming off-season, the front office will try to assemble a team around the two with their protected top-five pick and ample cap space to bring in free agents.
As for Price, the Lakers took a chance on the journeyman and impressed Byron Scott with his defensive performance before dealing with elbow problems of his own. He will be a free agent this summer and would welcome a return to Los Angeles even for a lesser role. Johnson’s contract ends this year as well and the forward has mentioned his desire to remain in Los Angeles.
[divide]Lakers Wes Johnson On Team’s Inability To Close Games