Detroit Pistons Stanley Johnson gets another nod for ROY
Detroit Pistons rookie Stanley Johnson has had as good of an offseason as Pistons’ fans good hope for.
He’s topped the rookie ladder for way to early rookie of the year predictions for NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper, thanks to his play at the Orlando Summer League, and even received some flattering comments from NBA legend Larry Bird.
The flattering hasn’t ended there for Johnson. NBA.com recently got a group of their analysts together to see who they thought the rookie of the year in 2016 would be.
Most liked either Philadelphia 76ers’ Jahlil Okafor or Denver Nuggets’ Emmanual Mudiay, but Sekou Smith felt Johnson was the player that should be considered the front runner.
"So much of who ends up winning Rookie of the Year depends on the situation — playing time and the role a rookie is asked to play on his team being the most crucial components — that it’s sometimes much more difficult than it appears to simply select the “best” rookie. That said, I truly believe the table is set for Stanley Johnson to steal the award this season in Detroit, if the race is about more than just who puts up the best numbers as a rookie but also who makes the biggest impact on his team on both ends of the floor."
I don’t know that I’d pick Johnson as a favorite for rookie of the year, because often times it is about who puts up the biggest numbers. We also don’t even know how much he’ll get to play early in the season with Marcus Morris the presumed favorite to start this season at small forward– though it would be unlikely for Johnson not to receive significant minutes.
If I had to rank who I thought would win the award I’d probably put Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, and maybe even Myles Turner ahead of Johnson. This isn’t to say that I think it’s “unlikely” to see Johnson ultimately win the award, I just don’t know that I’d call him the favorite.
That said, I agree with Smith’s analysis. If the award is given to the player who had the biggest impact on his team, Johnson’s shown the versatility to impact the most areas.
If the Pistons are able to sneak into the playoffs, and Johnson shows similar versatility during the regular season as he did in Summer League, I think Johnson would be a strong candidate for rookie of the year honors.
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