The hidden talents of the Detroit Pistons

Stanley Johnson’s hidden talent: Top-speed body control

Stanley Johnson came out of the University of Arizona drawing comparisons to Andre Iguodala. He could run and jump and play great defense. He was not known as a polished offensive player.

While Johnson is still not making his mark with his scoring prowess — averaging 7.0 points per game on 37 percent shooting from the field in three NBA seasons — he has shown some ability to get buckets and create scoring opportunities for others by maintaining body control and making good decisions while moving at top speed.

It’s not as easy as it sounds. For a lot of athletes across a lot of different sports, gaining speed results in losing their ability to stay under control.

Johnson is a handful for opposing teams in transition not just because he is fast, but also because when he’s moving fast he can still slip past defenders trying to take a charge, convert layups from awkward angles, or make the right pass to an open teammate.