Wes Johnson on Lakers' dysfunction: 'Nobody was playing together'

Wesley Johnson still calls Staples Center home, but he's much happier to be with the Los Angeles Clippers instead of the Lakers this season.

Johnson spent the last two years with the Lakers as a regular in the starting lineup. But despite finding success and resuscitating his career, Johnson says the team was a mess last season.

"You would go out there and want to play the right way, but everyone wanted to prove themselves," Johnson told Dan Woike of the OC Register on Tuesday. "So nobody really knew what was going on. Nobody ever knew, so it was hard for anyone to come in and get into a good rhythm or flow.

"Nobody was playing together."

The Lakers finished with the worst record in franchise history last season, winning just 21 games. Poor health also took a toll, with Kobe Bryant suffering his third straight season-ending injury after an uninspired 35-game stint, in which the 19-year veteran consumed 35 percent of the Lakers' possessions while on the court.

In truth, the Lakers were probably doomed from the start by a lack of talent and an overabundance of conflicting player agendas. Bryant's play was undoubtedly motivated by his chase to surpass Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring charts, while veterans Nick Young, Jeremy Lin, Jordan Hill, and Carlos Boozer scrounged up any remaining touches on a rudderless team.

Unsurprisingly, the Lakers finished second in isolation plays attempted, while ranking fourth worst in both passes and points created off assists per game.

"I would be trying to play the flow of the game, but it was hard to get into the flow. You don’t know what’s going on," Johnson said about the Lakers’ offense. "You want to come out there and touch the ball and sometimes it would go in spurts, but then you don’t even get to touch it. You want to play off people but it’s tough when you don’t get the ball."

Johnson says having a well-defined role will help him as a member of the Clippers.

"Here, you have a clear mind going into the season (of what’s expected), so it’s going to be really helpful for me," Johnson said. "I know what to do and what to expect."

The 28-year-old averaged 9.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game last season. He's expected to battle Paul Pierce for the starting small forward spot.