It might look like an uphill battle for Utah Jazz power forward Stanley Johnson to crack the 15-man opening-day roster, but don't tell that to the former No. 8 overall draft pick out of Arizona.
Johnson took full advantage of the limited minutes he received in Utah's preseason Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers and was an instant hit with Jazz fans.
The well-traveled veteran only scored four points on 2-of-4 shooting but provided energy and grit on the defensive end, while also grabbing five rebounds. It's also worth noting that he was given more minutes than Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Malik Beasley, Simone Fontecchio, and Ochai Agbaji.
On paper, Johnson didn't look like a fit for a team starting a rebuild. He has an expiring contract, and at first glance, it would make more sense for Utah to opt for a younger player with more time to develop. But roster spots aren’t won on paper, and Johnson may have struck a chord with Utah’s young coaching staff behind the scenes.
First-year head coach Will Hardy gave Jazz fans some insight into what it’s going to take to get time on the court.
"If they want to play and earn a spot in the rotation, they have to do the dirty work," Hardy said. "Those guys have to step up to an NBA level of physicality, play defense, try to do all the little things out there."
This bodes well for Johnson, who’s always been a good defender and has never been afraid of taking on tasks that don’t appear in the box score.
Johnson is well-traveled, as this would be his fifth team since being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2015. He has a career average of only 6.3 ppg, but he is only 26 years old, and the Jazz brain trust may see more room for development.
There was plenty of support for Johnson from Jazz Nation on social media as the game unfolded on Tuesday night. This was the first time many Jazz fans got a glimpse of the young power forward, and he made quite an impression.
Johnson is at least in the conversation for making the roster, and the Jazz front office has some tough decisions around the corner. His roster spot could come down to whether the Jazz decide to waive Rudy Gay.
Clearly, Johnson would be a better fit for the locker room. He’s playing for his next contract and has a lot to gain by falling in the good graces of the Jazz coaching staff.
On the other hand, Gay is getting paid over $12 million regardless of what happens. Will the Jazz eat that contract and open a spot for a player like Johnson, or will they bite the bullet at the expense of having a player that most likely doesn’t want to be here?
Jazz fans will get answers soon as the deadline to cut the roster to fifteen players is October 17.
Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.
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