Stanley Johnson reacts after being selected eighth overall by the Detroit Pistons during the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 25, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Stanley Johnson (Arizona)
Drafted: No. 8 by Detroit
Position: Small Forward
The team: The Pistons went 32-50 last season, Stan Van Gundy’s first as head coach in Detroit.
The roster: For next season, the Pistons have point guards (Brandon Jennings, Reggie Jackson), shooting guards (Jodie Meeks, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), a power forward (Ersan Ilyasova) and centers (Andre Drummond, Aaron Gray) under contract for next season. Zero small-forwards. Johnson fits the mold of the type of player Van Gundy likes, and with the playing time available, not sure there were many better fits for his services. I get the questioning of picking him over Winslow, but I don’t think the Pistons lose by going with Stanimal.
What people are saying: “Sean Miller, who I worked with years ago, is one of my closest friends so I know the intel we got on him is accurate. I think he’s the kind of player we wanted and more so he’s the kind of person we need here. We got the guy we wanted tonight.” — Van Gundy to Pistons.com
