Detroit Pistons: Best and worst draft picks of the Stan Van Gundy era

Best pick: Stanley Johnson

The fact that Stanley Johnson can be considered Van Gundy’s best draft pick for the Pistons doesn’t reflect well on the former coach/president’s time with the franchise.

Johnson’s four-year NBA career hasn’t been all bad, but it hasn’t been very good, either. “Bust” would be too extreme, but it’s safe to say Johnson has been something of a letdown since the Pistons took him with the eighth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

It also doesn’t help that Van Gundy chose Johnson over the likes of Devin Booker, Justise Winslow and Myles Turner.

A 6’7″ small forward out of Arizona, Johnson made his biggest early impression during the playoffs in his rookie season. The Pistons got swept by the eventual NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, but Johnson made a name for himself in that series with some tough defense against LeBron James.

The potential was (and still is) there for Johnson to be a defensive stopper, but his offense hasn’t caught up.

Johnson has averaged 7.2 points per game in his pro career, shooting 37.3 percent from the field and 29.2 percent on 3-pointers. His lack of scoring punch is probably the biggest reason why Johnson has never been able to lock down the starting small forward job that Detroit seemingly wants to give him each year; he’s still been at his best coming off the bench.

When the October 2018 deadline for the Pistons to sign Johnson to a contract extension came and went quietly with no deal, it didn’t surprise anyone who has followed the team recently.

Johnson could carve out a niche for himself as a solid rotation player for a good team. He could even make that happen in Detroit. However, most people would expect more from a top-10 draft pick who looks to have all the physical tools necessary to be a standout NBA player.