Stanley Johnson 2017-2018 Thread

[DBC10]

Has anyone actually successfully worked with a shooting coach to "fix" their shot? Teams seem to bring in shooting coaches all the time, but I haven't seen a lot of results.

Kawhi Leonard and LBJ come to mind off the top of my head. Not sure how much of that is reality vs perception though.

Yeah, those two are really the most notables. I mean for every Kawhi, we got guys like MKG, Andre Drummond (FTs), and SJ.

Hell, we had Dave Hopla who apparently is a so called expert in shooting as our shooting coach and our collective 3pt shooting went down and Dre hasn't gotten one iota better from FTs except maybe variance.

I don't really believe in players changing their shots. In most cases, it's already too late to do so. By the time they try to relearn it, a lot of these shooting coaches preach the wrong method and outdated fundamentals on what is supposed to be a "modern" jumpshot. Nobody truly "squares" up to the basket, everyone shoots it with their shooting shoulder being led out.

[ImHeisenberg]

Yeah, those two are really the most notables. I mean for every Kawhi, we got guys like MKG, Andre Drummond (FTs), and SJ.

Hell, we had Dave Hopla who apparently is a so called expert in shooting as our shooting coach and our collective 3pt shooting went down and Dre hasn't gotten one iota better from FTs except maybe variance.

I don't really believe in players changing their shots. In most cases, it's already too late to do so.

Can't speak for MKG, but Hopla effectively said that Drummond and SJ wouldn't work with him. He didn't name names, but the context made it pretty apparent.

Also, Jason Kidd added a 3-point shot in the twilight of his career. It helped the Mavs in a championship.

[Billl]

I don't think anyone said players can't improve their shooting percentage. Anybody that has played sports at any level knows that if you practice a skill, you can improve.

It just doesn't seem like "he worked with a shooting coach all summer" stories seem to be followed by "and he shot 5% better the next year". Who knows. I certainly hope he improves. Of course, he started at 31% as a rookie. It's pretty normal for guys to drift up a couple points from their rookie season after they adjust to the new line and then improve from there.

[BDM22]

Can't speak for MKG, but Hopla effectively said that Drummond and SJ wouldn't work with him. He didn't name names, but the context made it pretty apparent.

Do you have a link to this? All the talk I saw was how both changed their form and/or routine after working with Hopla. It just didn't seem to bring any consistency. The fact that no one on the team improved as a shooter is pretty telling... If he did say that some guys "wouldn't work with him" (while not naming names), you have to wonder if he's just trying to deflect the blame.

Stanley working with a different shooting coach this year makes me think that guys just didn't like the results from what Hopla tried to tweak, not that they weren't willing to try.

[Pharaoh]

Think it's a case of guys not being happy with Hopla

IF SJ thought the work was paying off he wouldn't have got his own guy to train him this off-season.

Based on team wide results last season & comments from SVG about changing the way we practice shooting I'd say old boy Dave should be looking over his shoulder.

In isolation:

Poor results in 1 year doesnt mean much.

Your Boss saying you need to adjust your methods doesn't mean much.

Players getting their own guys doesn't mean much.

All 3 combined? Not a good sign!

[detroitKG]

Watch on YouTube

[MotownMadness]

Watch on YouTube

Pretty sweet, Expecting big things from him.

[Pharaoh]

Watch on YouTube

People can say whatever they want about SJ but I'm a massive fan!

Great video!

His mentality and work ethic can't be bought IMO.

If there is any justice in the world this kid will take a massive leap this coming season.

[mercury]

Once SJ is comfortable with the bump and step back jumper he has a potential go to move. With his bulk/strength this will be hard to stop.
On the defensive side I'm less optimistic... He can hold his ground but he lacks the height and vertical to challenge most SF's shots... his lateral quickness is overrated.

[Pharaoh]

Once SJ is comfortable with the bump and step back jumper he has a potential go to move. With his bulk/strength this will be hard to stop.
On the defensive side I'm less optimistic... He can hold his ground but he lacks the height and vertical to challenge most SF's shots... his lateral quickness is overrated.

If Dre steps up defensively we should be funneling perimeter giys to the help anyway so that compensates for some lateral deficiency

Still have dreams of Mitchell causing havoc on D with his length...but if memory serves RJ is lanky a f, plays no D and gives no Fs

[MotownMadness]

Once SJ is comfortable with the bump and step back jumper he has a potential go to move. With his bulk/strength this will be hard to stop.
On the defensive side I'm less optimistic... He can hold his ground but he lacks the height and vertical to challenge most SF's shots... his lateral quickness is overrated.

If Dre steps up defensively we should be funneling perimeter giys to the help anyway so that compensates for some lateral deficiency

Still have dreams of Mitchell causing havoc on D with his length...but if memory serves RJ is lanky a f, plays no D and gives no Fs

Sucks Reggie won't play D but Mitchell seems different in that regard. He wants to play it and even says guys he look up to most are Avery Bradley cause they are the same height/length and tenacious defenders.

[Billl]

Once SJ is comfortable with the bump and step back jumper he has a potential go to move. With his bulk/strength this will be hard to stop.
On the defensive side I'm less optimistic... He can hold his ground but he lacks the height and vertical to challenge most SF's shots... his lateral quickness is overrated.

Nobody is out blocking shots on the perimeter. All he needs to do is keep his man in front of him and get his hand up on the shot. If guys are draining pull-up midrange jumpers against that, so be it. That's the shot you want teams taking against us.

SJ's problems on defense have been all mental. He doesn't always chase jumpshooters all the way to the line and he sometimes tries to belly up guys who like to drive when they are 5 ft outside the line. He also gambles and bites on fakes against guys who you shouldn't do that on. All of those things are correctable if he just follows the game plan and recognizes who he's playing against. He a competitor and he's got a nose for the ball, so if he keeps his head in the game, he can be a quality defender.

Offensively? Ugh. That is an ugly shot. That's not the biggest problem from last year though. His confidence seemed near zero and all the good instinct plays he was making as a rookie were gone. He was playing about 2 step slow.

[Kilo]

Stanley's issues would be better solved with playing time rather than looking over his shoulder expecting to be pulled at his first mistake. If he'd not getting 25mpg right out of the gate his agent should be forcing a trade.

[Billl]

SVG the GM is certainly going to back SVG the Coach in and confrontation like that. SJ is under contract and seems to have little value in the league as is. He's in no position to "force" anything.

[Kilo]

SVG the GM is certainly going to back SVG the Coach in and confrontation like that. SJ is under contract and seems to have little value in the league as is. He's in no position to "force" anything.

He absolutely has position to force a trade. If he's not playing he has little value in the eyes of Stan Van Gundy as well and it's time to move him. Stanley might be branded a malcontent, but Pistons would also be seen as a team who can't develop young players and then do them dirty if they keep Johnson after a trade request.

Dinwiddie, Hilliard, Gbinije all gone, Stanley in a make or break, Ellenson buried in depth chart and Kennard likely only getting minutes if Galloway gets PG minutes ( meaning injury to Reggie or Ish).

I expect a big breakout season from Stanley though, so all this is hopefully moot.

[Billl]

He's definitely not in a position to force a trade. The pistons won't get back anything for him. The only way players can really "force a trade" is if they have real trade value that would be hurt by a standoff. It would basically be doing SJ a favor to trade him someplace with more playing time.

The downside of SJ would be HUGE if actually tried to force a trade. SVG could just sit him and let him rot for a year. At that point, SJ would be lucky to be in the league next year. SJ's only option is to just go out there and prove he's a rotation player - whether that is in 25 minutes or 15 minutes. Doing that will net him at least 5 mil/ year and potentially much more. SVG already has a well earned rep for favoring vets - and frankly, I don't think that is a negative when it comes to recruiting established players.


But agree - I hope SJ has a great year. I expected him to break out last year, so I'm not going to predict that again though.

[dVs33]

I'm fairly certain the Morris/Bradley trade wouldn't have happened if svg wasn't willing to give Stanley a big bump in minutes. He won't need to force a trade, not that he'd be able to anyway

[Pharaoh]

There was a article during the KCP stand off that stated IF SJ had a better 2nd season he was going to be the starting SG this coming season...

This is the problem:

Drafted a SF because we didn't have any...

Acquire TWO guys that bury him on the depth chart

Ask the drafted SF to become a SG...

He struggles (no surprise)...we lose our starting SG but acquire TWO more SGs...

Ask the drafted SF who was becoming a SG to now become a SF again!

It's not about learning plays and **** - it's about getting your body and mind right for the role you are in.

SJ has been screwed every which way since he was drafted

[dVs33]

There was a article during the KCP stand off that stated IF SJ had a better 2nd season he was going to be the starting SG this coming season...

This is the problem:

Drafted a SF because we didn't have any...

Acquire TWO guys that bury him on the depth chart

Ask the drafted SF to become a SG...

He struggles (no surprise)...we lose our starting SG but acquire TWO more SGs...

Ask the drafted SF who was becoming a SG to now become a SF again!

It's not about learning plays and **** - it's about getting your body and mind right for the role you are in.

SJ has been screwed every which way since he was drafted

I don't remember the article, but that makes no sense at all.
Stanley should never be a full time SG. Thankfully the roster has balanced out a bit.

[Pharaoh]

There was a article during the KCP stand off that stated IF SJ had a better 2nd season he was going to be the starting SG this coming season...

This is the problem:

Drafted a SF because we didn't have any...

Acquire TWO guys that bury him on the depth chart

Ask the drafted SF to become a SG...

He struggles (no surprise)...we lose our starting SG but acquire TWO more SGs...

Ask the drafted SF who was becoming a SG to now become a SF again!

It's not about learning plays and **** - it's about getting your body and mind right for the role you are in.

SJ has been screwed every which way since he was drafted

I don't remember the article, but that makes no sense at all.
Stanley should never be a full time SG. Thankfully the roster has balanced out a bit.

It was a throw away part in a article about KCP.

I mentioned it at the time weird since I've always viewed SJ as a SF