Ten days before Johnathan Williams found himself on a national stage, he was searching for a new path after being cut from the Lakers’ preseason roster.
The 23-year-old turned to his faith to get him through his first professional disappointment.
“I just prayed about it and I just kept moving forward,” Williams said. “Talked to my pastor and just tried to stay focused. Never get too high, never get too low, and always moving forward.”
But he never left the minds of the Lakers’ coaches and front office. On Saturday, he was signed to a two-way contract between the NBA and G League.
Immediate production seemed unlikely, but it soon became necessary. With their options thinned during a monstrous night from Second Team All-NBA forward LaMarcus Aldridge, the Lakers turned to Williams.
Aldridge piled up 37 points and 10 rebounds in San Antonio’s overtime win against the Lakers on Monday. He was an animal down low, and the Lakers’ centers struggled to contain him.
Ivica Zubac picked up five fouls in only five minutes. JaVale McGee fouled out just 16 seconds into overtime.
Enter Williams.
The Memphis native was brilliant in OT. He protected the rim with three blocks, constantly set solid screens and provided a couple big-time buckets.
By the end of the night, even the greatest player in the world, LeBron James, was praising Williams, saying he gave the Lakers “everything.”
“Energy, effort, [recovering] loose balls, defensive energy,” James said. “We’re happy to have him back.”
Williams — who was credited with four screen assists on the night — made an immediate impact in overtime by setting a sturdy pick for LeBron, who used it to lose his man and cash a drifting jumper.
On the very next trip down the court, he saved the Lakers’ possession by drawing a foul while fighting for an offensive rebound. Then he successfully cleaned the glass, grabbing James’ miss and putting it in for the lead.
While Williams is certainly more known for his defense than his offense, the Lakers even went back to him with 65 seconds remaining in overtime.
He ran a pick-and-roll with LeBron, and the four-time MVP trusted him to make the right play. The southpaw took contact from the tagging defender and even finished with his off hand for the and-1 basket.
Still, Williams’ value is firmly anchored on the defensive side of the ball.
South Bay Lakers General Manager Nick Mazzella and staff evaluated him as “defensively capable of helping any team” when scouting him for the Lakers’ summer league roster.
“People throw around the term ‘one through five [defender],’ and I don’t know if that’s full possible in this league with how good the point guards are,” Mazzella told Lakers Digital. “But he does as good a job as anybody at that.”
Indeed, Williams impressed at summer league with his ability to switch across all positions and even keep speedy guards in front of him.
But the Lakers used him in a drop coverage against the Spurs, and he excelled at that as well.
Second Team All-NBA guard DeMar DeRozan certainly won’t be forgetting Williams, who swatted him three times in overtime, protecting the rim against one of the league’s best slashers.
“That’s what we’ve seen from him since training camp started,” coach Luke Walton said of Williams’ defense. “It’s what made our staff really start to take a close look at him. Defensively, he’s active and he’s really intelligent.”
Defense and intelligence were the hallmarks of Williams’ collegiate career.
The two-time First Team All-WCC selection led his conference in defensive rating for each of the past two years. His smarts extended off the court, as he graduated with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
On Monday, he was a guest lecturer in the business of locking down the paint. His blocks fueled the Lakers’ transition attack, as they scored twice off of Williams’ swats.
Even in today’s small-ball-infused NBA, there aren’t many 6-foot-9, 228-pounders who are capable of the kind of rim protection Williams provided in his professional debut.
And despite making the transition from a college power forward to an NBA center, Williams simply focused on making the right plays.
“He was out there just playing basketball, making reads,” Walton said. “He’s not afraid of the moment.”
His statline read eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, four rebounds and three blocks in only 14 minutes. His demeanor said even more.
“I played in the Final Four back in college, and the national championship game,” Williams said. “I’ve been through the biggest stage, but playing in the NBA is pretty incredible, too.”