Detroit Pistons: 2017-18 player grades for Stanley Johnson

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 9: Stanley Johnson #7 of the Detroit Pistons stretches with mascot Hooper of the Detroit Pistons before the game against the Toronto Raptors on April 9, 2018 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images /

Strengths

Unquestionably, Johnson’s biggest strength was his defense. His long reach and athleticism allow him to recover if he’s ever beat off the dribble. He averaged nearly two steals per game this season and has the ability to develop into a true lockdown defender. If he never figures things out on the offensive end, he can become a situational defender off the bench.

Per ESPN’s real plus/minus metrics, Johnson was the 24th-best defender with a defensive rating per minute of 0.83. This ranked above Paul George, who narrowly missed the All-Defensive Second Team.

Johnson had a rough go on offense this season, which makes finding bright spots more difficult. However, one thing worth noting is his ability to draw fouls when shooting. Although partially due to increased playing time, Johnson only played roughly 200 more minutes, but he shot 43 additional free throws. This could be purely based on playing more minutes, but it was also his highest free throw attempt rate of his career by nearly a full 10 percent.

If Johnson is planning on raising his overall grade next season, he’s going to need to make his list of strengths much longer. Now, let’s move on to Johnson’s weaknesses to see what he needs to improve on.

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