With five minutes left in the second quarter, and the Lakers down five, Stanley Johnson hunkers down in a defensive stance and sucks in a deep breath. A wing-forward hybrid his entire career, he’s being deployed as the Lakers’ center on this possession, their sole enforcer and deterrent with a trio of small guards around him.
Johnson ices the high ball screen, forcing the ball out of Joe Ingles’ hands and into Rudy Gay’s, who now is suddenly open on the perimeter. This is Johnson’s responsibility. This exact scenario was likely drilled down in practice, in the film-room, during pre-game, and now it was up to him to prove he could pass the test.