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Wesley Johnson News & Rumors

Wes Johnson heating up at last for Timberwolves
March 9
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"This is as good a time as any for Timberwolves forward Wes Johnson to fight off trade rumors or concerns about his future with the team. With the NBA trade deadline coming up Thursday, the soft-spoken Johnson is making a loud and clear statement of his value to a team battling for its first playoff spot in eight years. In the past four games, Johnson is shooting 54.8 percent (17 of 31) from the floor, including a sparkling 75 percent (6 of 8) on three-pointers. Johnson appears to be telling the Wolves (21-19) that he can be the consistent perimeter shooter the team has been coveting at the small forward position. "It's a huge difference for us when Wes is making shots," Wolves coach Rick"
Wes Johnson looks likely to spend more time at small forward
December 24
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Timberwolves are near the end of a pretty intense, but also very short, training camp. Because of its relative brevity, coach Rick Adelman doesn't sound like he knows for sure what kind of team he has yet. For example: when asked when he would decide on a starting lineup for Monday's opener. "Monday," he said with a bit of a smile. Will the team be ready for Oklahoma City, which is expected to make a run deep into the NBA playoffs? "I don't think you ever know until you get out there on the court and play," Adelman said Friday. "We had two good practices [this week], good concentration. We're trying to cover everything going into that first game. But, you know, it will be interesting"
Wolves look for Wes Johnson to grow in role
December 11
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 columnist Patrick Reusse
"The Gophers' Rodney Williams and the Timberwolves' Wes Johnson are both gifted athletes. They wound up at shooting guard last season and looked out of place for the most part. Williams was there because of a season-ending injury to Al Nolen Jr. that caused desperate shuffling for coach Tubby Smith. Johnson was there as the best place for the fourth overall draft choice to get big minutes. This year's season-ending injury of big impact -- to Trevor Mbakwe -- has sent Williams to power forward. And the junior, now that he's operating closer to the basket, looks fully comfortable for the first time as a college player. There was a feeling after last season that Johnson might be more"
Wes Johnson 'never saw any signs' of alleged sex abuse at Syracuse, he says
December 10
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Timberwolves guard Wes Johnson, a member of the Syracuse University men's basketball program for two years, said reports of alleged sexual abuse of young boys by former Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine have been "shocking and sickening." "I never saw any signs or evidence of the stuff that's being talked about," said Johnson, beginning his second season with the Timberwolves. "That's what's so shocking about it. It's sickening to see the stuff on TV they're reporting, especially when it's somebody you know and have had a relationship with. I've just been sending out my prayers to he and his family." Johnson sat out the 2008-09 season at Syracuse after transferring from Iowa State. He"
Wolves exercise contract options on Johnson, Ellington, Hayward
June 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The Wolves today exercised the fourth-year contract option for Wayne Ellington and third-year options for Wes Johnson and Lazar Hayward for the 2012-13 season. Wes will make $4.2 million that season, Ellington $2.1 million and Hayward $1.2 million. Picking up Wes' option by Thursday's league deadlline was an obvious move? But why Ellington and Hayward on a roster that's getting mighty crowded? Well, remember: The options are for the 2012-13 season. They're already committed to all three players for this next season, whenever (or if) that might be. And also remember that the roster today -- already at the 15 man limit when they sign Derrick Williams and Malcolm Lee -- is not what it's going"
Love and rebuilt Wolves welcome Rubio while bracing for lockout
June 26
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The reconstituted Timberwolves unofficially, incompletely convened at Target Center on Saturday, gathering for the first time on the court with newly added Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams and Malcolm Lee running alongside Kevin Love, Wes Johnson, Anthony Randolph and Martell Webster in a pickup-game preview. By Friday, those gym doors very well could be padlocked to them in a NBA labor lockout for which Love has been preparing, hoping all along that it won't really come. That's why, three pro seasons into his rookie contract, he still hasn't gone and bought himself a house in Los Angeles, his offseason home. That's why he's joined the thoughtful crowd in anticipating what could be a lengthy"
Wesley Johnson selected to NBA's All-Rookie second team
May 12
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Wesley Johnson was named to the NBA's All-Rookie second team today by the league's 30 head coaches. Johnson, the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, ranked sixth among rookies in scoring with 9.0 points per game and third in three-point shooting percentage (35.6 percent). The 6 foot 7 Johnson, drafted out of Syracuse, also averaged 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He started 63 games and led the Wolves with 79 game appearances. Johnson led the Wolves in scoring four times and he had five games with 20 or more points. His 29 points against the Lakers in Los Angeles on March 18 was the most by a Wolves rookie since Stephon Marbury had 33 against the"
Wes Johnson named to second NBA all-rookie team
May 11
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves forward Wes Johnson was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team on Wednesday. NBA Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers and the Washington Wizards' John Wall, the overall No. 1 selection in the 2010 NBA Draft, headline the first team, the NBA announced today. Griffin was the lone unanimous selection. Joining Griffin (58 points) and Wall (57 points) are New York's Landry Fields (56 points), Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins (54 points), and San Antonio's Gary Neal (44)."
Johnson playing better than numbers suggest
April 5
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"At first glance, rookie Wes Johnson's numbers in Saturday's loss to Memphis were unimpressive. Once again, he struggled with his shot. Johnson played almost 25 minutes, took seven shots and made one. He was 0-for-3 on three pointers. But, at this point in the season -- and at this point in Johnson's development -- Wolves coach Kurt Rambis sometimes looks at other things. With injuries forcing Johnson to move from big guard to small forward Saturday, Johnson had to guard a more physical player, and he held his own. He had a team high three steals and he tied for the team lead with four assists. He blocked two shots and had just one turnover on a night when six of the 10 Wolves who played"
Johnson playing better than numbers suggest
April 4
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"At first glance, rookie Wes Johnson's numbers in Saturday's loss to Memphis were unimpressive. Once again, he struggled with his shot. Johnson played almost 25 minutes, took seven shots and made one. He was 0-for-3 on three pointers. But, at this point in the season -- and at this point in Johnson's development -- Wolves coach Kurt Rambis sometimes looks at other things. With injuries forcing Johnson to move from big guard to small forward Saturday, Johnson had to guard a more physical player, and he held his own. He had a team high three steals and he tied for the team lead with four assists. He blocked two shots and had just one turnover on a night when six of the 10 Wolves who played"
Rookie Johnson finds lights of L.A. to his liking
March 20
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves guard Wes Johnson made a discovery here so late in his rookie season during Friday's 108-96 loss to the Lakers: He likes the shiny stage that is Staples Center. "Love it," he said. Johnson scored a career-high 29 points -- five more than he scored in a December game against New Orleans -- and outdueled the great Kobe Bryant, who played on a swollen ankle but still did just enough in the fourth quarter to guarantee the Lakers their 15th consecutive victory over the Wolves. Johnson had 17 by halftime, or only one fewer than Bryant scored all night. Bryant and Johnson share the same agent, a relationship that Johnson hopes will lead to more tutoring this summer after the two"
Johnson wants to learn from Kobe, but not be schooled
March 1
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Timberwolves rookie Wes Johnson's newfound confidence will get a test Tuesday night at Target Center against the Lakers' Kobe Bryant. But it won't be their first go-round. Johnson met Bryant during last spring's playoffs, when the former Syracuse star was in Los Angeles for a predraft workout. The two players share an agent, Rob Pelinka, who helped put Johnson in touch with Bryant. The two swapped phone numbers, and when Johnson decided to train last summer in L.A., the two worked out a couple of times before Bryant had offseason surgery. It started one day when Bryant phoned Johnson with instructions to meet him. Johnson got there at 8 a.m. and Bryant already had finished lifting weights."
All-star atmosphere appeals to Johnson
February 3
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Timberwolves shooting guard Wesley Johnson said he used to watch the NBA's Rookie Challenge game during All-Star Weekend when he was growing up. The Wolves' first-round draft pick was selected to play in this year's game in Los Angeles on Feb. 18. "I would tell myself that I'm going to play in that game someday," Johnson said. "It'll be fun to be out there in that atmosphere with LeBron (James) and Kobe (Bryant).'' Johnson and Bryant are represented by Los Angeles-based agent Rob Pelinka."
Wes Johnson selected to play in Rookie Challenge Game
February 2
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Timberwolves shooting guard Wesley Johnson was selected to play in the Rookie Challenge Game as part of the NBA's All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. Johnson, the No. 4 pick in the 2010 NBA draft, will compete with other elite rookies against the league's top second-year players on Feb. 18 at the Staples Center. The game will be televised live at 8 p.m. on TNT. Johnson, who starred at Syracuse, is fourth among rookies in scoring with 9.4 points per game. Joining Johnson on the rookie team will be Washington's John Wall, Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins, New Jersey's Derrick Favors, New York's Landry Fields, San Antonio's Gary Neal, Detroit's Greg Monroe, and Eric Bledsoe and Blake Griffin of the"
Rookie guard Wesley Johnson finds some comfort on the Timberwolves' bench
February 1
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"There have been times when Wesley Johnson's adjustment to the NBA has been so overwhelming that he needed a calendar to figure out the day of the week. The days seem to run together for Johnson with practices, games, film sessions, meetings and other responsibilities associated with being an NBA rookie. Johnson also has experienced changes in roles and playing time. He started 33 consecutive games before Wolves coach Kurt Rambis removed the 6-foot-7 shooting guard from the starting lineup. The move has paid off for Johnson and the Wolves (11-36). In the past four games, Johnson has averaged 16.2 points and shot 52 percent coming off the bench, and offered a reminder of the potential that"
Wolves rookie Johnson more comfortable
February 1
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"It's a coincidence, Wes Johnson said. The Timberwolves rookie swingman was asked why his play has improved of late, with four consecutive games in double-digit scoring. Perhaps it was coach Kurt Rambis' decision to have Johnson come off the bench rather than starting? Or maybe not. "No, really it's just that things have started slowing down for me," Johnson said. "Coming off the bench, starting, either one, it's just that I feel comfortable out there. Things have slowed down. And I'm getting more aggressive on offense." Whatever the reason, Johnson -- who has had ups and downs like many rookies do -- is in the middle of an uptick. He sat out much of Monday's practice because of tendinitis"
Shared agent helps Johnson connect to, learn from Kobe
January 27
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"The education of Timberwolves rookie Wes Johnson continued Wednesday, when he found himself asked on occasions to defend NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant. Last week, Johnson found himself benched for all of a game at Portland and much of a game against the Clippers in Los Angeles for defensive lapses. On Monday against Houston, he responded with a 33-minute, 19-point, three-steal game in an uneven season he calls "learning day by day." The process just might get accelerated this summer, when he hopes to be mentored by a guy named Kobe. Johnson and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant share the same agent, Rob Pelinka. Last summer, the two players worked out together a few times, even"
Wesley Johnson learning on the job
December 1
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"When Wesley Johnson gets together with his large contingent of family and friends before tonight's game in Dallas, he will have a lot of stories to tell about his first month in the NBA. Johnson grew up 55 miles south of Dallas in Corsicana, Texas, and many of his supporters want to know what it's been like for the Timberwolves' rookie shooting guard to defend Miami's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, San Antonio's Manu Ginobili, Orlando's Vince Carter and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. 'It's been fun, but I've been baptized,' said Johnson, who will play an NBA game near his hometown for the first time. In just 17 games, Johnson has been matched up with some of the NBA's premier"
Top pick Johnson becomes student
November 29
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Some are quick and fast, others big and strong. About the only thing they have in common from one game to the next is that they're almost always a big-time offensive threat. We're talking about the two-guard spot in the NBA, shooting guard, home to the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Manu Ginobili. Wolves rookie Wes Johnson has seen all of the above, some of them twice. Johnson is 17 games into his first season, which began with him being thrown into the deep end of the NBA's scoring pool and learning how to swim. At times it's been difficult, other times rewarding. But always educational. "It's been very, very, very difficult," Johnson said Sunday after practice. Talk"
Timberwolves' missed handshake is a video hit
November 19
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"For a team with a 4-9 record in the NBA, the Timberwolves seem to be having a considerable amount of fun. The national exposure hasn't been bad, either. Kevin Love started the team's popularity surge with his 31 points and 31 rebounds last Friday against the New York Knicks. Now he's co-starring with rookie shooting guard Wesley Johnson in a hilarious YouTube video that captures a 'missed handshake' between the two players during the Wolves-Milwaukee game Oct. 29 at Target Center. What normally is a routine moment, teammates supporting each other during a free-throw attempt, has become the NBA's version of NFL Films' "Football Follies." Nearly 1.3 million viewers have watched Love and"
Johnson, Flynn enjoy their homecoming
October 18
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"He grew up in Texas and spent his first two collegiate seasons at Iowa State, but Wes Johnson didn't need to know exactly where he was when he arrived with the Timberwolves in Syracuse late Wednesday night. The lady at the hotel told him. "First thing she said was, 'Welcome home,''' he said. "And it feels just like that." Johnson and Jonny Flynn came home to Syracuse and the spacious Carrier Dome for Friday's 99-88 preseason victory over Detroit, even if Flynn watched all night because of his healing hip. He did, however, wear his game uniform and sit on the bench, which, considering the circumstances, could have become a dangerous proposition. "They might need to put a seatbelt on the"
Wesley Johnson has been surprisingly impressive on defense
October 15
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Syracuse University basketball fans, accustomed to seeing Wesley Johnson's outside shooting or spectacular drives to the basket, might see a very different version of the former Orange standout in the Timberwolves' exhibition game tonight against Detroit at the Carrier Dome. Wolves coach Kurt Rambis knew Johnson, the No. 4 pick in this year's NBA draft, had good offensive skills. But Johnson's defense has been a revelation. "I'm more impressed with how well Wes has performed at the other end," Rambis said of the 6-foot-7 rookie swingman. "He positions himself well and covers a lot of ground. He does a lot of good things off the ball. I didn't know what kind of a defensive player I was"
Wolves' scrimmage teases at Wesley Johnson's talents
October 1
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Rookie Wesley Johnson's smooth, unhurried, productive debut with the Timberwolves -- granted it was only a camp-closing public scrimmage -- poses at least this one question: What more will he do when he finally gets his hops back after a lingering hamstring problem completely heals? "Oh, man," Johnson said, throwing his head back at the question. "First off, I'm going to dunk on Mike." That would be teammate Michael Beasley, who showed a little spring of his own during Wednesday night's scrimmage in Mankato with a soaring but unsuccessful attempt to convert Lazar Hayward's ambitious alley-oop pass. Johnson showed an effortless shooting stroke, especially from three-point range, and"
Wes Johnson just starting to show his ability with Minnesota Timberwolves
September 29
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The inbounds play seemed to be run for Timberwolves rookie Wes Johnson during Tuesday night's scrimmage at Minnesota State Mankato's Taylor Center. After a timeout, Johnson made a quick move to free himself from a defender, found an open spot at the three-point line and calmly knocked down the shot. Moments later, Johnson hustled inside to snatch an offensive rebound and feed Anthony Tolliver for a baseline jumper. The Wolves had been waiting four days to see that kind of activity from Johnson, the No. 4 overall pick in this year's NBA draft, and there are indications a lot more is on the way once he fully recovers from his strained left hamstring. "When I'm 100 percent, I'm going to let"