Stanley Johnson, F, Detroit Pistons
Stanley Johnson was a lottery pick who has struggled a lot since being drafted. Now entering his fourth season, it is getting close to do or die time for Johnson. His first year he showed some flashes as a defender, but then in his second year, he struggled to get in the rotation and with injuries. Last year he got minutes, but could not find a role on offense.
Johnson averaged 8.7 points per game on 37% shooting from the field, 28% shooting from deep and 77% from the line. He also chipped in 1.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. Yuck! Johnson is not good on offense to put it lightly. There were some slight improvements. He had a career-low turnover percentage and a career-best true shooting percentage of 48% which is still quite bad. So how can Johnson be useful on offense?
Last year Detroit played him at the four, and I liked the move. He has the strength to handle the position, and his lack of shooting is less of an issue. With Blake Griffin starting at the four next to Andre Drummond, I would bring Johnson off the bench. I would start Reggie Bullock and Luke Kennard on the wings. He needs to play with either Griffin or Reggie Jackson at all times.
A playmaker that give him easy looks in transition, and allow him to crash the boards on offense, an underrated skill of his on offense. Honestly, Johnson has not found a useful skill on offense yet, and he has to find one this year. I would explore using him as a cutter or screener a little more.
Defensively it’s better. Johnson rated well-defending spot up and pick and roll action. He is not a lockdown defender, but he is solid and pretty versatile. Sometimes he fouls a little too much, but he is an expert at getting steals. When locked in he can hold his own with some of the best. Watch this play!
Johnson starts the play guarding Giannis Antetokumpo who goes to set a ball screen for Kris Middleton. At first, Johnson switches onto Middleton, but then quickly rotates back to Giannis to contest the pass. Giannis catches it, but Johnson is all over him. He tries to post up Johnson and goes nowhere and is forced to pass it back out. This is extremely impressive individual defense.
If he can control the fouling, he has a chance to be an elite defender, and that alone would make him more valuable even if his offense doesn’t improve much.
Most likely though he will have to show significant improvement on offense to stick around in Detroit, the Pistons could use it, they are in win-now mode, and a jump from Johnson improves their ceiling drastically.
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