2015 NBA Summer League: Stanley Johnson Impresses In Orlando
Detroit Pistons rookie Stanley Johnson has been impressive in his first two games as a professional while playing in the Orlando Summer League.
Johnson, the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, scorched the nets for game-high 24 points to lead the Pistons to a 77-69 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The University of Arizona product was 10-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 from the free throw line. He also grabbed nine caroms and came up with three steals. Johnson finished with a plus-14 +/- rating.
Johnson has shown that he is not a one-dimensional offensive player. Against the Clippers, he scored in transition, off steals, on floaters, from long-distance and with both hands.
Detroit assistant coach Bob Beyer, who is leading the Pistons Summer League entry, said that Johnson has been impressive in every aspect.
“I think the thing that’s most impressive is the calmness to his game right now. We’ve thrown a lot at him in a very short period of time, and for any player, it’s quite the adjustment from college to the NBA. But he has really grasped concepts very quickly and he spends a lot of time off the court trying to become a really good NBA player.”
Kammeron Hosley, who played in the D-League with Grand Rapids last year, had 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting for the Pistons, while Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 14 points, but turned the ball over six times.
Branden Dawson, once again, has superb showing for the Clippers. The second round draft selection chipped in eight points and five rebounds in a little over 16 minutes. Nate Wolters led Los Angeles with 18 points.
Johnson’s Day 2 performance comes a day after a solid debut. In the Pistons 87-76 loss to Orlando Magic White, Johnson tallied 13 points and grabbed four rebounds while coming off the bench.
Through two games, Johnson is averaging 18.5 points, 6.5 boards and 2.0 steals a game. He is shooting 15-of-22 (68.1 percent) from the field, including 2-of-5 (40 percent) on 3-pointers, and 5-of-10 (50 percent) from the charity stripe. Johnson also has recorded a plus-24 +/- rating.
Detroit is 1-1 in summer league play and has accumulated eight points, according to Michigan Live. The Pistons will face the Miami Heat (2-0) on Monday in Day 3. This setups up an intriguing match-up between Johnson and Heat rookie Justise Winslow, who was selected two slots below Johnson at No 10.
Winslow is coming off a 14 point, five rebound, and four assist performance against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. Winslow was 3-of-10 from the field, including 0-5 from the 3-point line, though he was 8-of-12 from the free throw line. He is averaging 14.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists through two games.
Winslow is currently No. 5 and Johnson is No. 2 in the Chase to the Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League MVP.
Josh Cohen of theOrlando Magic website provided the analysis on Winslow’s performance over the first two days.
“Winslow’s ability to absorb contact and get to the free throw line has been evident in two games at Summer League. He has attempted 20 foul shots, which indicates he isn’t afraid to muscle his way inside and force the action. Winslow’s footwork and balance on drives has also been impressive. He hasn’t found the mark on his jump shot, however. Winslow is 1-for-8 from downtown.”
While the Johnson-Winslow match-up is likely the most anticipated of the week-long event. Johnson isn’t necessarily buying the hype.
“Justise and I probably won’t guard each other. I’m not sure how much he’s playing, I’m not sure how much I’m playing. We’ll be matched up for a couple of minutes maybe. We’ve played against each other a bunch of times so it won’t be anything different. It’s the NBA. It’s not about me and him.”
[Photo by Elsa/ Getty Images]
