Stanley Johnson, Stan Van Gundy figuring the puzzle out

Detroit Pistons Forward Stanley Johnson and Head Coach Stan Van Gundy have always seemed to be on a different page. With Johnson showing massive improvement, have the two figured it out?

Stanley Johnson has been hard not only for Detroit Pistons fans to figure out, but for Stan Van Gundy to figure out as well.

Johnson’s first two years in the NBA were inconsistent at best. He seemed to thrive as the sixth man on a playoff team his rookie year, but struggled tremendously during his sophomore season.

Heading into his third year, Johnson was given the starting small forward spot. However, he lost the starting job after he struggled to produce after returning from a hip injury.

Sham Mohile described it  best when he compared Stanley Johnson to a square peg fitting in a round hole.

Van Gundy has taken criticism for his use of Johnson, with many wondering why Johnson is primarily used as a spot up three point shooter when he, you know, can’t shoot threes very well. Johnson hasn’t been a good three point shooter so far into his NBA career, with averages of 30.7 percent, 29.2 percent, and 27.4 percent this season. This had not stopped Van Gundy from sticking him the corner, waiting for kick out threes.

It seemed like Van Gundy was stubborn and stuck in his old ways, and Johnson’s name started to swirl around in trade rumors this year.

But about a month ago, it seemed Van Gundy may have had a light bulb turn on.

Johnson was relegated to the bench, and he seemed to thrive with having the ball in his hands more.

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Johnson showed everyone watching what he’s capable of: attacking the rim strong and either drawing a foul, or using his excellent playmaking ability to create a shot for someone else.

All of a sudden it looks like Johnson, 21, is figuring it all out.

He is improving, and seems to have his confidence back.

Pistons fans found themselves wondering, is 2018 the year Stanley Johnson figures it all out?

However I found myself asking, is 2018 the year Stan Van Gundy figures it all out with Stanley Johnson?

It seems that both questions have been answered for Pistons fans.

The answer is yes.

It’s been even more evident over the past few weeks.

Van Gundy has promoted Johnson back into the starting lineup, and Van Gundy has given him the chance to play with the ball in his hands.

No more is the yanking Johnson out of the game after one mistake. Van Gundy has allowed Johnson to make mistakes, which has bolstered Johnson’s confidence to an all time high.

Van Gundy showing trust in Johnson has paid off for the Pistons.

On January 30th, the Pistons began their four game winning streak with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. You know, that team with the best player in the world on it: LeBron James.

Who was the best player on the court that game, though?

Stanley Johnson.

Johnson went off for a career high 26 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, a block, while shooting 10-21 from the field.

Reminiscent of the Drew League Stanley Johnson, as pointed out by Sham Mohile, the game against the Cavaliers was Johnson’s best game in the NBA – and it’s came at a time where Van Gundy has finally taken the training wheels off.

As Aaron Johnson of Palace of Pistons pointed out, Johnson is averaging 18 points and 5.7 rebounds over the past three games.

Johnson seems to be healthy again, attacking the rim hard and strong.

He is using his 6’7″, 245 pound frame to bully opponents and get to the free throw line.

Johnson shot eight free throws against the Cavaliers on the 30th, and shot five against the Miami Heat on February 3rd.

He’s getting the ball out in transition, and is anyone going to stop 6’7″, 245 pound beast coming at you full speed?

He’s doing all the things he’s good at, more consistently and with the same confidence you see in the summer.

Over this four game winning streak, Johnson has averaged 15.3 points per game. At the same time, he is still locking down on the other side of the court.

In a blowout win against the Portland Trailblazers, Johnson was tasked with guarding Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum for most the night. The two combined to shoot 14-32 from the field, while also committing six turnovers between the two.

Johnson, with the help of Van Gundy, is starting to put it together.

The trio of Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond, and Johnson have been waxing teams off the floor.

As Duncan Smith pointed out, there is a 26 point positive swing in net rating when Griffin, Drummond, and Johnson all share the floor.

The arrival of Griffin has helped every player on the team, but no one more than Johnson. With all the attention on Griffin, Johnson is able to get to the rim much easier. Johnson doesn’t have to score it every time either. Johnson now can drop it off to either Griffin or Drummond anytime the defense helps.

Is he a finished product?

Of course not.

He still has to improve his shooting from long range, and can still get a lot better with the ball in his hands. But, if Johnson can continue to bring this every night this season, with the addition of Blake Griffin, the Pistons could make some noise.

Van Gundy has stopped planting Johnson in a corner waiting for a kick out three. Instead, he has allowed Johnson to use his god given body and talents to help this team. The results have been great, and it’s starting to look like that kid out of Arizona is figuring out his NBA career.

Pistons fans are finally getting what they thought they were getting 8th overall in 2015.

The square peg is no longer trying to become round.

Instead, the round hole is now trying to become square.