Why the Lakers need to continue to look for Wesley Johnson.

Although the Lakers suffered a crushing lost against the Denver Nuggets, losing 101-94 in overtime, the Lakers had a solid outing from most of their main contributors, most notably Wesley Johnson. After Johnson's tremendous defensive stop against James Harden of the Houston Rockets, it appeared as though a new Johnson had emerged, a Johnson with swagger, confidence, and a competitive gear that Laker fans have not seen since, ever.

During the Dallas Mavericks game, which the Lakers lost by 140-106, Wesley Johnson appeared to carry over that same level of confidence, throwing down a powerful dunk and posing like a wrestler who just landed his finishing move.

However, that was the only notable highlight from Johnson, who only attempted 5 field goal and converted 3 of those shots.

It's difficult to determine, just from one play, whether or not a player can become that go to guy, especially since the NBA is filled with incredible athletes. But for Laker fans who've watched Johnson throughout his tenure, it was undoubtedly refreshing and satisfying to finally see Johnson unleash his tremendous athleticism. Before his game against the Rockets, Laker fans were accustomed to watching Johnson play cautiously, as though he was afraid to make mistakes. But let's not forget Johnson, who was the 4th pick of the 2010 draft, impressed scouts with his unbelievable athleticism, his impressive length and most importantly his willingness to play within a team structure and be an all-around solid teammate. But since he's entered the NBA Johnson has played for franchises that utilize incorrectly which ultimately affected his confidence.

Johnson's performance against the Denver Nuggets appeared to be his homecoming game, as Johnson's tenacious defense caused several problems for the Nuggets speedy back court, with Johnson racking up 2 steals, 3 blocks and disrupting all sorts of shots and passes. Although Johnson's defense helped the Lakers contain the explosive Nuggets team, his spotty shooting performance hurt the Lakers in the long run, shooting 3-10 from the field and missing all three of his 3 point attempts. But even though Johnson had a poor shooting performance the majority of his looks were good shots that simply did not go in, and based off his performance, Laker fans should remain optimistic as Johnson's shooting will be the easiest to address.

Johnson's confidence appeared to be soaring, especially after his thunderous jam over the Nuggets small forward Danilo Gallinari seen here in this video.

After Johnson's jam you'll notice that he looks out to the crowd with that same level of certainty and swagger that should make all Laker fans giddy with joy as his future looks brighter than it's ever been.

Johnson's defense will be his greatest asset. With his length and athleticism, Johnson should be able to guard most elite players in the NBA. But in order for Johnson to succeed he needs to continue to play with that same unwavering confidence that he's shown the last 3 games. Byron Scott needs to be willing to give Johnson more opportunities and feed his confidence so that it remains sky high. Johnson shooting will be inconsistent, but it's only a matter of time until Johnson figures out how to use his physical skills to his advantage. If Johnson continues to impress than the Lakers might have found their permanent defensive stopper, possibly Michael Cooper 2.0?

Even if the Lakers continue to lose, Wesley Johnson's career should be one highlight that makes every Laker fan hopeful for a better tomorrow. We'll just have to wait and see whether or not Johnson will finally be able to step out of the draft bust category and enter a new stage in his career that will hopefully lead the purple and gold to more championships.