The Detroit Pistons are certainly hoping that the preseason isn’t an omen to the regular season, because they are taking some L’s in terms of injuries.
Mr “I’m legit” Reggie Jackson is out with a thigh contusion and Steve Blake has a concussion. Jennings is still recovering, so the guard pool is relatively thin at the moment. In comes Stanley Johnson to save the Pistons for the short-term. Stanimal hasn’t played PG since high school, so you’d expect some rusty play. But Stan Van Gundy likes what he sees.
And the end result was the same as the first two days— Johnson excelled.
On a day when Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said the team didn’t practice very well, he said: “Stanley was really good today — really good. Even at the point. He played well.”
“I’m not a (point guard) so I don’t want to play it, but do I want to have the ball in my hands? Do I want to get into high ball screens? Do I want to make plays with the ball in my hands? Yes,” Johnson said.
He added: “That was definitely something (Van Gundy) said he’d let me do — as long as I don’t turn the ball over, which makes total sense. If I’m turning the ball over I don’t need the ball in my hands. I’ll either be on the bench or in the corner.“
It’s clear that Johnson would much prefer to play in his native small forward position, but this is how the cookie crumbles. Next man up, if someone is injured, somebody comes in to backup. Johnson is learning this very quickly and that’ll help when he becomes a franchise player. (Yes I said it)
