Pistons select Stanley Johnson with No. 8 pick in NBA Draft

Patrick Hayes wrote on Stanley Johnson:

"My draft board for the Detroit Pistons has consistently read like this for the entire offseason:Justise WinslowDisappointmentNow, it was easier to cope with after the lottery, when the thought of Winslow slipping to eighth seemed unheard of. But a few teases here and there that suggest Winslow might be around when the Pistons pick is enough to lead to instant depression if they don’t come out of this draft with the perimeter-smothering wing that could transform their defense.Poor Stanley Johnson. Nothing against the guy who seems most likely to be the choice at eight if things shake out as expected tonight. He’d be a fine choice, but because of Winslow’s seemingly beautiful fit in every way, anyone else feels like a consolation prize.The consolation prize is just fineThe good news: all of the virtues I extolled about Winslow in the draft profile/love letter I wrote earlier this offseason can mostly be applied to Johnson, albeit not as dynamically.Like Winslow, Johnson is a brutish perimeter player who has natural defensive instincts that project well to the NBA level.He shot the ball reasonably well as a freshman at Arizona, he can handle the ball well and he’s good at absorbing contact while attacking the basket. In fact, you could (but I probably wouldn’t) make a reasonable case that he’s shown more potential than Winslow offensively since Winslow wasn’t asked to do a lot on offense on a Duke team with multiple threats.Grantland’s Danny Chau made a comparison for Johnson that should have any Piston fan excited:It isn’t mentioned all that often, but there was no other player quite like Metta World Peace during his eventful 15-year career. Johnson is a dead ringer in terms of bulk, strength, lateral quickness, and charmingly poor leaping ability.What’s the downside?There isn’t one. Assuming Winslow is off the board at eight, Johnson is a no-brainer pick. He’d form with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to give the Pistons a big, strong and intriguing perimeter combo that could hopefully develop into competent starters for years to come. Once Winslow’s name is called, Johnson should be the player all Pistons fans are rooting for at eight."

Sorry for the lack of

Surprise!

As we’ve discussed ad nauseum, Johnson isn’t going to wow anybody, but he’s a solid player who is physically ready for the NBA. We’ll have to see if his perimeter jumper translates to the NBA, but he should be able to soak up minutes right away as a defensive, rebounding small forward.

I think he’s definitely better than any small forward the Pistons had last season, and I think his defense will be a welcome addition.  It’s also pretty cool that after his workout he noted that he wanted to be in Detroit. Not a lot of guys say that, prospects or pros.

But… the surprise part, the elephant in the room — Justise Winslow, who will NOT be playing for the Detroit Pistons. He’s the player most fans wanted in this spot. He’s the player it was shocking to see drop this far. And he’s the player who helped lead his team to the NCAA title.

I’m one of maybe five people in the world who doesn’t see a star in Winslow, mind you.

Johnson and Winslow are forever linked in Detroit. We’ll see how it plays out in five years, not five minutes or five days or five months. Just try to remember that so we can avoid another Trey Burke Incident.