Will Detroit Pistons/Stanley Johnson ever click?
The Detroit Pistons and Stanley Johnson have had a rocky relationship since the start. With Johnson relegated to the bench, and differing views of how he thinks he fits and how Stan Van Gundy think he fits, will this thing ever work out?
One thing I did not want to see from the Detroit Pistons this season was more conflict between Stanley Johnson, Stan Van Gundy, and the Detroit Pistons.
But, that’s exactly what we have, more disparity between the two sides.
#Pistons SVG on starters: "I’m going to roll with (Reggie) Bullock for a little bit, as long as I get what I got the other night, in terms of the effort. "We may have to change up and put one of our main four guys on the bench and change the rotation... pic.twitter.com/RY6QhXHdqy
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) December 14, 2017
#Pistons SVG 🔥🔥🔥 on Stanley Johnson vs. Reggie Bullock as starter: "A guy like Reggie Bullock is a good complementary player; I’m not starting him trying to get 20 pts out of that spot – that’s not anybody’s job that we would put in that spot. "In.. pic.twitter.com/AVxGkyGsT1
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) December 14, 2017
I think the interesting part of the quote is that Van Gundy says the team doesn’t need to “get 20 points out of that spot”. Clearly Johnson is not a fan of his fit in the offense, as corroborated by Vince Ellis of Detroit Free Press:
"And while Van Gundy didn’t get into the exact details of the discussion, it’s evident Johnson is struggling with his role as the fifth option in the starting lineup.“He’s got to find his way and I think he’s very capable of shooting the ball better than he has and that’s what we want to get him doing,” Van Gundy said."
This is the same story, different season. Now that we are in year four of the Stanley Johnson/Detroit Pistons experiment, it’s fair to wonder if this match will ever work.
I personally love Johnson. I love the potential he has defensively next to another stellar defender in Avery Bradley, with an athletic big like Andre Drummond.
If the Pistons are going to ascend as a team, I think it’s behind those player’s defensive abilities.
However, Johnson has had spotty games this season and his offense has been even spottier.
It’s understandable why Van Gundy is so frustrated with Johnson considering his abilities.
On the other hand, it’s also understandable why Johnson has been struggling as he’s not a good enough shooter–and too good of a playmaker–to be standing in the corner and shooting threes.
There is merit for both sides to be frustrated, though with Van Gundy being coach and President of Basketball Operations, its easy to guess which side would win in a tug of war of opinions.
Next: Three Outlandish Detroit Pistons Trade Scenarios
I hope this pairing gets it figured out before season’s end, but my confidence in this relationship being a long-term thing is dwindling.