As KCP, Johnson evolve, Pistons will move closer to capturing an identity

[DarkSyde]

A few weeks ago, with the Pistons showing signs of pulling out of a malaise that began in mid-December, Stan Van Gundy responded to a question of whether he had a handle on his team’s identity without hesitation: “No. Not even close.”

It would be depressing if the uncertainty arose from a lack of possibilities. Choose your adjective – challenging or frustrating or confounding all come close, but none hit the mark – to describe the process of integrating the components as Van Gundy’s fingertips into a cohesive force.

Some nights, the Pistons still rotate around the axis of the Andre Drummond-Reggie Jackson pick and roll. What emerged to start the season, with Jackson missing for 21 games, was a potent isolation attack featuring equal doses of Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris.

Whatever they become, their win over New Orleans on Wednesday night – much needed to halt a three-game losing streak with a critical two weeks ahead of them before the All-Star break – revealed an emerging and necessary piece of the puzzle.

It’s the two-way dynamism held by a pair of high-level wing athletes, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Stanley Johnson.

Caldwell-Pope, already established as one of the NBA’s top perimeter defenders, scored a career-high 38 points and pushed his season’s 3-point percentage above the line that defines elite shooters: 40 percent. With his 8 of 11 showing, Caldwell-Pope is now at .403 for the season from the arc on a career-high 5.6 attempts per game.

Johnson’s numbers weren’t nearly as splashy, but his four points came with five rebounds, six assists and a steal. And the number that really underscored his impact on the 118-98 win was this: plus-36. In Johnson’s 25 minutes – including the last 17-plus – the Pistons outscored New Orleans 73-37.

He even elicited a rare in-game smile from Van Gundy when he facilitated a Harris layup in transition.

Van Gundy explained: “Stanley has his own way of doing things. So today we had our walk through. He did his shooting workout. And then I looked back out there and he’s doing some two-on-two stuff. I said, ‘What are you doing? We’ve got a game tonight.’ At the timeout, I said, ‘Would you run down the court? Instead of doing a two-hour workout on game day, we need your energy in the game.’ So he got out and filled the lane, got the ball on the break and made the nice dish. That’s what we were smiling about.”

Whatever concerns for his future Johnson’s curiously sluggish start to the season caused have been cast aside by his recent play. Van Gundy said earlier this week that he’s now playing at a level above last season, when he assumed the role of sixth man for a 44-win team. Johnson has dropped about 15 pounds over the past two months and now admits he sees a difference in his quickness.

“I got to the point where I guess I was slower,” he said. “I feel faster now. How I gauge how fast I’m moving is if I can stay in front of people. I didn’t notice it. Once (Van Gundy) pointed it out to me, I was like, boom. I went back and looked at body composition from my rookie year, college.”

Van Gundy sees in Johnson, at minimum, the stuff to be an elite defender. He’s mentioned Jimmy Butler and Tony Allen in talking about Johnson’s potential at that end. In tandem with Caldwell-Pope, the Pistons expect they’ll be able to pair two versatile, disruptive defenders.

There’s a case to be made for Caldwell-Pope as the Pistons’ most consistent performer this season. He’s averaging a career-high 14.9 points and 2.9 assists despite seeing his minutes scaled back from 36.7 last season to 33.8, largely a reflection of the unusual number of one-sided games the Pistons have played this season.

He was temporarily sidetracked by a left shoulder injury caused by running into screens in two games a week apart last month, eventually causing him to miss five games. He perhaps subconsciously shied away from contact for a few games upon his return, but Wednesday’s explosion stamped him as fully past the injury.

Where can he take his game from here?

“Is he going to be a guy who’s going to average 24 points a game? He’s young, so anything’s possible,” Van Gundy said. “I think he’s a guy that can be a 16-, 18-point scorer. He plays with good energy. He gets enough cutting baskets to get easy ones. So, yeah, it’s possible he can become a real good scorer.”

At 23, he’s not yet fully formed. That’s even more true of Johnson, still only 20. As their games further flower, Stan Van Gundy will have a better idea of the still elusive identity of his team.

http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/kcp-johnson-evolve-pistons-will-move-closer-capturing-identity

[Blkbrd671]

A few weeks ago, with the Pistons showing signs of pulling out of a malaise that began in mid-December, Stan Van Gundy responded to a question of whether he had a handle on his team’s identity without hesitation: “No. Not even close.”

It would be depressing if the uncertainty arose from a lack of possibilities. Choose your adjective – challenging or frustrating or confounding all come close, but none hit the mark – to describe the process of integrating the components as Van Gundy’s fingertips into a cohesive force.

Some nights, the Pistons still rotate around the axis of the Andre Drummond-Reggie Jackson pick and roll. What emerged to start the season, with Jackson missing for 21 games, was a potent isolation attack featuring equal doses of Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris.

Whatever they become, their win over New Orleans on Wednesday night – much needed to halt a three-game losing streak with a critical two weeks ahead of them before the All-Star break – revealed an emerging and necessary piece of the puzzle.

It’s the two-way dynamism held by a pair of high-level wing athletes, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Stanley Johnson.

Caldwell-Pope, already established as one of the NBA’s top perimeter defenders, scored a career-high 38 points and pushed his season’s 3-point percentage above the line that defines elite shooters: 40 percent. With his 8 of 11 showing, Caldwell-Pope is now at .403 for the season from the arc on a career-high 5.6 attempts per game.

Johnson’s numbers weren’t nearly as splashy, but his four points came with five rebounds, six assists and a steal. And the number that really underscored his impact on the 118-98 win was this: plus-36. In Johnson’s 25 minutes – including the last 17-plus – the Pistons outscored New Orleans 73-37.

He even elicited a rare in-game smile from Van Gundy when he facilitated a Harris layup in transition.

Van Gundy explained: “Stanley has his own way of doing things. So today we had our walk through. He did his shooting workout. And then I looked back out there and he’s doing some two-on-two stuff. I said, ‘What are you doing? We’ve got a game tonight.’ At the timeout, I said, ‘Would you run down the court? Instead of doing a two-hour workout on game day, we need your energy in the game.’ So he got out and filled the lane, got the ball on the break and made the nice dish. That’s what we were smiling about.”

Whatever concerns for his future Johnson’s curiously sluggish start to the season caused have been cast aside by his recent play. Van Gundy said earlier this week that he’s now playing at a level above last season, when he assumed the role of sixth man for a 44-win team. Johnson has dropped about 15 pounds over the past two months and now admits he sees a difference in his quickness.

“I got to the point where I guess I was slower,” he said. “I feel faster now. How I gauge how fast I’m moving is if I can stay in front of people. I didn’t notice it. Once (Van Gundy) pointed it out to me, I was like, boom. I went back and looked at body composition from my rookie year, college.”

Van Gundy sees in Johnson, at minimum, the stuff to be an elite defender. He’s mentioned Jimmy Butler and Tony Allen in talking about Johnson’s potential at that end. In tandem with Caldwell-Pope, the Pistons expect they’ll be able to pair two versatile, disruptive defenders.

There’s a case to be made for Caldwell-Pope as the Pistons’ most consistent performer this season. He’s averaging a career-high 14.9 points and 2.9 assists despite seeing his minutes scaled back from 36.7 last season to 33.8, largely a reflection of the unusual number of one-sided games the Pistons have played this season.

He was temporarily sidetracked by a left shoulder injury caused by running into screens in two games a week apart last month, eventually causing him to miss five games. He perhaps subconsciously shied away from contact for a few games upon his return, but Wednesday’s explosion stamped him as fully past the injury.

Where can he take his game from here?

“Is he going to be a guy who’s going to average 24 points a game? He’s young, so anything’s possible,” Van Gundy said. “I think he’s a guy that can be a 16-, 18-point scorer. He plays with good energy. He gets enough cutting baskets to get easy ones. So, yeah, it’s possible he can become a real good scorer.”

At 23, he’s not yet fully formed. That’s even more true of Johnson, still only 20. As their games further flower, Stan Van Gundy will have a better idea of the still elusive identity of his team.

http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/kcp-johnson-evolve-pistons-will-move-closer-capturing-identity

heads up, its a 3 paragraph minimum when posting articles from other websites. slightly surpassed that

[Southern Piston]

I think we need to move Morris and run a three man rotation at the 2\3 with KCP, Johnson, and Bullock. Some minutes for Harris at the 3. We need to trade Baines, Morris, and Hilliard for Minn. Pechovich retirement contract, and there top 7 protected 2017 pick. Clearing minutes for Johnson, Bullock, and Boban, and gaining another pick to combine with ours and ?? to get the best available pg in the draft. Hopefully top ten pick.

[Pharaoh]

I think we need to move Morris and run a three man rotation at the 2\3 with KCP, Johnson, and Bullock. Some minutes for Harris at the 3. We need to trade Baines, Morris, and Hilliard for Minn. Pechovich retirement contract, and there top 7 protected 2017 pick. Clearing minutes for Johnson, Bullock, and Boban, and gaining another pick to combine with ours and ?? to get the best available pg in the draft. Hopefully top ten pick.

And Minnesota is gonna give up that top ten pick for Morris and Hilliard?

WHY?

And why did you put that nonsense in what could be an amazing thread about the future of the team, how right now we're looking like 2 halves of 2 very different good teams and how choosing the wrong half could really set us on the treadmill...

Oh what could have been...and still could be.

Sent from my SM-J110F using RealGM mobile app

[Pharaoh]

DarkSyde - thanks for posting this - I look forward to reading the responses

Sent from my SM-J110F using RealGM mobile app

[rmfc]

?? - KCP - Stanley - Tobias - Andre

Let's go, SVG!

[Billl]

Meh. That was the plan when we drafted SJ, right? He was supposed to learn for a few months and then beat out morris for the starting stop. Well? I know he's still young and hopefully on the upswing, but he's still got a way to go before he can even beat out a decent roll player, let alone be a star.

[El Chivo]

we clearly need to trade 2 or 3 players for 1 good player.

our rotation is a logjam right now and too many role players in a team without a proven star are not a good thing.

[whitehops]

i know the last game showed what a lot of us were excited about when we drafted SJ - two very good wing defenders in KCP and SJ on the perimeter wreaking havoc.

johnson still has to get better defensively in terms of staying disciplined, not getting too handsy, not fouling, etc. but when he does he'd be our best option to guard stronger ball-dominant guards like james harden or demar derozan.

[coordinator0]

Stanley slimming down has really, really helped his game. I think he might actually be even better if he continues that into the summer and comes in next season in the 220s. A stacked 220's to be sure, but with the way he's playing I wouldn't want him to bulk up again. I think any notion of him playing PF has to be put to rest. If Stanley looks this much better at a lower weight then he's not going to fit at the four in any facet. He's already lacking reach and length for that position, take away the weight match and...

Johnson might actually fit into that SG/SF role too instead of just a three. Of course if the plan is to start him next to Caldwell-Pope going forward playing the two isn't a big deal but with the other forwards still on the team he will get pushed there eventually.

[sc8581]

Stanley slimming down has really, really helped his game. I think he might actually be even better if he continues that into the summer and comes in next season in the 220s. A stacked 220's to be sure, but with the way he's playing I wouldn't want him to bulk up again. I think any notion of him playing PF has to be put to rest. If Stanley looks this much better at a lower weight then he's not going to fit at the four in any facet. He's already lacking reach and length for that position, take away the weight match and...

Johnson might actually fit into that SG/SF role too instead of just a three. Of course if the plan is to start him next to Caldwell-Pope going forward playing the two isn't a big deal but with the other forwards still on the team he will get pushed there eventually.

KCP looks like he's filling out of late, if the two can be interchangeable on defense watch the f_@k out

[In SVG We Trust]

They're true bad boys, our only hope not only because their potential, but their attitude on the court.

[JohnReese]

Keep KCP-Stanley-Harris and move everything you want to get Mudiay-Nurkic.

[DBC10]

Keep KCP-Stanley-Harris and move everything you want to get Mudiay-Nurkic.

That'd be a fun young team to watch at least. And young guys are hungry and active.

But we'd be basically hitting the reset button.

[need4detroit]

We should be building the entire team around Stuckey.

[Cowology]

We should be building the entire team around Stuckey.

I've been saying that for years!

[JohnReese]

We should be building the entire team around Stuckey.

Do not forget Daye!

[whitehops]

Stanley slimming down has really, really helped his game. I think he might actually be even better if he continues that into the summer and comes in next season in the 220s. A stacked 220's to be sure, but with the way he's playing I wouldn't want him to bulk up again. I think any notion of him playing PF has to be put to rest. If Stanley looks this much better at a lower weight then he's not going to fit at the four in any facet. He's already lacking reach and length for that position, take away the weight match and...

agree agree agree. when he was in college and reported to be 6'8, 240 then he was being labeled as a 3/4 but when he was actually 6'6/6'7 with a low reach and not a great vertical is was pretty obvious he would be at a disadvantage size-wise vs. PFs.

which just makes sense for him to lose the weight. at 220 with his frame he would still have a strength advantage vs. most 2/3's and it would help him keep up with them.

i bolded his length (for a PF) because his length is actually fine for that position, he has a 7'0 wingspan which is what lebron has. i think somewhere around 6'10, 6'11 is the average wingspan of power forwards. but again, he would have average length at PF and be undersized everywhere else, at the 2/3 he has an advantage with a 7 foot wingspan.

[Moses ShamMoses]

We should be building the entire team around Stuckey.

Do not forget Daye!

and Knight

[Manocad]

Todd3 is crying right now and masturbating using his own tears as lube.