Stanley Johnson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Leuer, Smith, Johnson, Blake

September 14th, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons players concentrated on recruiting this summer and wound up with two of their main targets, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy entered the offseason wanting an experienced backup point guard and a power forward with size who could make 3-pointers. Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson took care of the first one by convincing former teammate Ish Smith to come to Detroit. Tobias Harris landed the power forward through his connection to Jon Leuer, who broke into the league along with Harris with the Bucks in 2011/12. “Just having a good relationship with Tobias and knowing that he’s been with these guys and knows what it’s like in the locker room and what it’s like to play for coach Van Gundy, it had a big impact on my decision,” Leuer said. “Just somebody that I trust and know has a good sense of what would be good for me.”

There’s more news tonight out of Detroit:

Leuer and the Pistons didn’t fully commit to each other until Al Horford eliminated Detroit from his consideration, Langlois writes in the same piece. When Horford made Boston, Washington and Atlanta his finalists in free agency, the deal was finalized. “Once Al made his decision, it was, ‘OK, let’s figure out how we can get this done,’ ” Leuer said. “We actually came to an agreement before he even landed, so it was more of a celebratory lunch than a meeting.”
After a long learning experience during his rookie year, Stanley Johnson hopes to show the NBA what he is capable of, relays Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Johnson said being a first-year player is like going from kindergarten to being a high school senior. He averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 73 games, but he believes he can do better in 2016/17. “As much as athleticism is involved in the NBA game, it’s more mental than anything,” Johnson said. “You’ll see with the rookies when you watch them play, they’re not behind but they’re making plays slower than everybody because they haven’t seen it yet. That’s where I was last year — except I was playing, I was in the fire, I was in front of everybody and they were watching me make my mistakes on a grand scale.”
Steve Blake, who spent last season with the Pistons, has been working out at the Trail Blazers’ facility, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The 36-year-old point guard is staying in shape and hoping for another opportunity, she added.

Central Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Poythress, Bucks

August 31st, 2016 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope may make a mutual decision to wait until next summer for contract talks, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Detroit took a similar approach to Andre Drummond last year, but that was to preserve cap space. In the case of Caldwell-Pope, it would be to monitor his development and decide if he’s the long-term solution at shooting guard or if Stanley Johnson is a viable alternative. From Caldwell-Pope’s perspective, he and his representatives may be encouraged by the huge salaries thrown around in free agency this year and decide that he’s likely to top whatever offer the Pistons could make now. The deadline for extensions is October 31st. Langlois notes that regardless of when it happens, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is a huge proponent of Caldwell-Pope and wants to see him signed long term.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Alex Poythress isn’t discouraged about his NBA dream despite being bypassed on draft night, writes Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports. The 6’7″ forward, who spent four years at Kentucky, recently signed a partially guaranteed deal with the Pacers and is believed to be ticketed for the D-League. Poythress has been working out in Indianapolis for the past few weeks. “Things are going good,” he said. “Going through the draft process, [the Pacers] really liked me. I’m just trying to make best of this opportunity.”
Even though the Bucks finished 33-49 last season, Matthew Dellavedova believes he is joining a playoff team, relays ESPN’s Jake Michaels. Fresh off a championship season with the Cavaliers, the Australian point guard accepted a four-year, $38MM offer from Milwaukee and was sent there as part of a sign-and-trade deal. Dellavedova said he is looking forward to having a legendary point guard as his new coach. “To be able to learn from one of the greatest point guards of all time in Jason Kidd is going to be cool, and something I’m really excited about,” he said. “I cannot wait.”
The Bucks should locate their new D-League franchise in Sheboygan, argues Adam Johnson of D-League Digest. Sheboygan is one of the finalists for the new team, along with Oshkosh and Racine. The Bucks’ new affiliate will start play in the 2017/18 season.

Eastern Notes: Lue, Johnson, Thibodeau

April 20th, 2016 at 7:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Cavaliers GM David Griffin was hesitant to say anything negative about former coach David Blatt, but the executive did contend that Blatt wasn’t the right person to lead the team’s current roster, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer writes. “David really didn’t do anything inherently wrong,” said Griffin. “It just wasn’t the right fit. We [the players] are radically more engaged with each other [since Tyronn Lue took over as coach]. You can see it on an night-in, night-out basis just by watching the bench during games.”

When asked about the Cavs’ record being worse under Lue than under Blatt this season, Griffin responded, “I told everyone that things were likely to get worse before they got better after the change,” said Griffin. “I know the [coaching] change was somewhat unprecedented. We were going to make some significant changes, and it was going to take Ty a while to get his feet on the ground. At one point, we had 23 games in 41 days. When Ty took over, we were changing offensive and defensive schemes and there were periods where we had absolutely no practice days. We put him in a very tough spot.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Pistons rookie swingman Stanley Johnson has embraced the challenge of guarding LeBron James in his first-ever playoff series, which is in line with the competitive fire that made the team enamored with him in the first place, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “Stanley’s toughness and competitiveness and the fact that he’ll never back down, that’s not been a concern all year,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “What he’s got to do is play smarter, make better decisions and continue to work on his skills. I never have a doubt about his competitiveness. If you’re not a competitor, a great competitor at 19, my guess is at 22 you’re not going to be a great competitor, either. That to me is just sort of part of the personality. Now you’ll learn to play situations better, you maybe won’t make the mistakes about being nervous, you’ll have seen things more. All of those things will change, but the competitiveness to go out and play the best player in the world and not be afraid and all of that. If he didn’t have that now, I don’t think he’d have it in three years, quite honestly.”
The plethora of talented young defensive players the Wolves possess makes former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau the perfect choice to lead Minnesota into contention, opines Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
The Hawks have once again assigned swingman Lamar Patterson to the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. Patterson will play in the deciding game of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles D-Fenders tonight, Vivlamore notes.

Northwest Notes: Burks, Gallinari, Smith, Thunder

April 2nd, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz shooting guard Alec Burks hopes to return to the court this week for the first time since December, according to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Burks, who underwent surgery in early January for a broken fibula, is hoping to be ready Tuesday. Although he will probably be under a minutes limitation, Burks will be a welcome addition for Utah, which is in a battle to make the playoffs. In a sixth-man role, Burks was averaging 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game before the injury. “There’s a jump between being OK and healed and being able to compete at a high level,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said in explaining why the team is being cautious with Burks.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Nuggets combo forward Danilo Gallinari is happy with the progress on his injured right ankle, but he tells Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post that he doesn’t plan to play again this season. With Denver far out of the playoff race, there’s little reason for Gallinari to take risks with the injury. “We’re not fighting for anything right now,” he explained. “As a player, it’s one of the worst feelings ever because if you’re not fighting for anything, it’s even tougher to find the motivation to play a game.” Gallinari hasn’t played since February 26th after tearing two lateral ligaments in the ankle and spraining another.
Greg Smith has quickly earned a spot in the Wolves‘ rotation because of his ability to play center and power forward, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. Smith, who recently signed for the remainder of the season, had to overcome knee surgery and a two-month stint in the D-League to earn his way back into the NBA. “I know my role, I know my game,” he said. “I know what they want from me.”
The Thunder’s ongoing verbal war with the Pistons has intensified, according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. The dispute started when Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant blasted former teammate Reggie Jackson for an exuberant celebration after Detroit’s win over Oklahoma City this week. Pistons rookie Stanley Johnson is the latest to join the fray, saying Durant shouldn’t have skipped the contest if he was concerned about the outcome. “If he wanted to have an impact on the game, he should have just played,” Johnson said. “No one is scared of playing against him on this side of town.”

Eastern Rumors: Johnson, Magic, Butler

April 2nd, 2016 at 10:08am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons rookie forward Stanley Johnson fired back at Kevin Durant after the Thunder superstar small forward ripped ex-teammate Reggie Jackson for his antics during Detroit’s win over Oklahoma City this week, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes. Thunder guard Russell Westbrook was furious about what he felt was excessive celebration by Jackson, and Durant, who was rested for the game, concurred with Westbrook when interviewed by a media throng on Thursday. Durant then dismissed Detroit as a lightweight team. “I wanted to play against Detroit, for sure, but you know, it’s Detroit,” Durant said. “Who cares about Detroit?” Johnson felt Durant “disrespected our whole team” while promising to Ellis and other Pistons beat writers, “No one is scared of playing against him on this side of town. Next year we have two games scheduled, and I know, for me, it’s circled on my schedule from now on.”

In other doings around the Eastern Conference:

The Magic will need to rely on trades and free agency to make improvements this summer, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel opines. Orlando has been stuck in a holding pattern in recent seasons, not losing enough games to get a top pick without lottery luck, yet failing to make the postseason, a trend that has continued this season in Schmitz’s view. The draft has become a means to supplement the Magic’s core talent, while the focus is on landing free agents to lead the young team or trading some of those assets for a veteran, Schmitz adds.
Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler is playing some point guard with Derrick Rose battling injuries and E’Twaun Moore on a minutes restriction, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Butler was thrust into that role against the Rockets on Thursday when Rose left the game with an elbow injury and will continue to receive minutes at that spot if Rose has to miss games, Johnson adds. “Jimmy was terrific with the ball, made a lot of great plays to get guys baskets and also a lot of hockey assists, where he just would pass the ball, get it moving, then we would make the extra one [for] an open look,” Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg told Johnson and the assembled media.
The Knicks will lean on their younger players the rest of the season, including a backcourt of rookie Jerian Grant and Langston Galloway, according to Fred Kerber of the New York Post. Grant made his first start while Galloway had a team-high 18 points in a win over the Nets on Friday. “If things are going well with the young guys, we’ll keep extending their minutes, giving them as much time as possible,” interim coach Kurt Rambis told Kerber and other members of the New York media. “And [the veterans] were all OK with that.”

Lakers Rumors: Russell, Young, Scott, Bryant

March 31st, 2016 at 6:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

The video controversy involving D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young was an inevitable result of their flawed personalities, contends Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Ding says Russell’s immaturity and Young’s desire for a celebrity lifestyle combined to create the incident, which reportedly has led to deep rifts in the locker room. The columnist adds that many in the Lakers’ front office are angry at Russell for bringing this distraction to the team and are worried that it may turn off potential free agent targets. However, the Lakers recognize Russell’s unique talents and aren’t likely to deal him away over a misguided prank.

There’s more Lakers news from Los Angeles:

The Russell-Young story is making waves throughout the league, writes David Mayo of MLive. Pistons power forward Marcus Morris said he probably won’t speak to Russell again, adding, “That’s something you don’t want to see in the NBA.” Detroit teammate Stanley Johnson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, says being a rookie doesn’t excuse what he did, and coach/executive Stan Van Gundy agreed with Lakers’ coach Byron Scott that the incident shouldn’t have become public knowledge. “This should be one of those situations where whatever is said in there stays in there,” Van Gundy said, referring to the locker room.
Kobe Bryant received an offer last summer to play for Barcelona, according to the Spanish website mundodeportivo.com (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com). The offer called for Bryant to appear only in Euroleague games, which feature the most successful teams from each participating nation. Because Bryant is making $25MM this year in his final season with the Lakers, it’s likely that the Barcelona offer was for next season. Bryant reportedly turned it down, saying he wasn’t physically able to handle the competition.
Scott hasn’t provided the smooth transition into the post-Kobe era that the franchise was counting on, but Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders believes the team has a young core that will eventually turn the Lakers into winners again. Despite his off-court faux pas, Russell has shown himself to be an exceptional talent, and Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. also provide hope for the future, either as part of the resurgence or as trade pieces to bring in veteran talent.

Eastern Rumors: Sixers, Grant, Oladipo

January 5th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers reached out to retired shooting guard Jason Richardson prior to their signing of big man Elton Brand, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The Hawks waived Richardson, who played 19 games with the Sixers last season, in late September after signing him to a non-guaranteed, one-year deal the previous month. But Brand was the team’s top target to fill its leadership void, a move that was orchestrated by new chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo, Pompey adds.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Knicks coach Derek Fisher hasn’t lost faith in point guard Jerian Grant, despite the rookie’s decline in playing time, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Grant received a three-game benching last month and played sparingly in others until his 24-minute outing against the Hawks on Sunday, his longest appearance since November 15th. “There’s a lot of good things about him,” Fisher told the team’s beat writers. “That’s why he’s here, and we believe in him. …We still believe in who he is. We’re still invested in him. We like his future.”
Victor Oladipo returned to the starting lineup against the Pistons on Monday, a change that would have happened even if point guard Elfrid Payton didn’t sit out with an ankle injury, Magic coach Scott Skiles told the assembled media, including Hoops Rumors. The team had shown serious defensive slippage, Skiles indicated, “so it makes sense to put my best defensive player back out there. [Offensively] it’s a tough balance for a player as talented as him — whether to dribble, drive, do things like that, or if the ball movement is more important for our team. You play better when the ball is moving around, so they’re not easy decisions. But we need him to be aggressive.”
Stanley Johnson needs to improve his shooting but that won’t lead to a reduction in minutes, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said during a Monday press conference that included Hoops Rumors. The rookie small forward has been a fixture in Van Gundy’s rotation since opening night, averaging 21.2 minutes, despite shooting 37.8% from the field. “I’d certainly like to see him shoot the ball better,” Van Gundy said. “I know he’d like to shoot the ball better but it’s not something I worry a whole lot about.”

Eastern Notes: Johnson, Sixers, D-League

December 23rd, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons are pleased with what 2015 lottery pick Stanley Johnson has shown them thus far, but they admit that the rookie still has much to learn before he can be an impact player in the NBA, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “It’s still up and down but we’ve seen good potential,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said regarding Johnson. “He’s a guy who’s on the attack, he plays the game hard; he certainly shows no fear. He’s got a lot of developing to do; he has a lot to learn on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, his decision-making is going to have to improve — when to shoot and when to pass — and he needs a lot of work on his footwork.”

Here’s the latest from the NBA’s Eastern Conference:

The players on the Sixers support the team’s push to add veteran leadership to the locker room, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “I think that will be good for us to have any type of veterans,” Nerlens Noel said. “I think [GM] Sam [Hinkie] is looking into that a little more. … You know Chuck Hayes is a big man and I think it’s going to help us.” Philadelphia reportedly met with Hayes and John Lucas III recently, though coach Brett Brown noted that the team is considering multiple players and no move is currently imminent, Pompey adds.”We are looking at a lot of things. To say that they [Hayes and Lucas] will join the team at this stage is not true,” Brown told Pompey.
Jarell Eddie, who was recently signed by the Wizards, was surprised to have gotten the call from Washington, though he always believed he would make his way back to the NBA at some point, J. Michael of CSNMid-Atlantic.com relays. “I never doubted,” Eddie said of returning to the NBA. “I knew it was a process and the timing had to be right. I just continue to work, continue to do what I do. I knew eventually someone would call.“
The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo and Norman Powell from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was Caboclo’s fifth stint with the Raptors 905 on the season and Powell’s second.

Bulls Notes: Butler, Hoiberg, Hinrich

December 23rd, 2015 at 6:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jimmy Butler‘s recent criticism of Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg‘s laid back demeanor has rankled Derrick Rose‘s camp, but the swingman has the full support of veteran big man Pau Gasol, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times writes. “I don’t mind those comments,’’ Gasol said, when asked about Butler declaring himself the team’s leader this season. “I think those comments are positive. Those comments and attitudes don’t raise my eyebrows. I think it’s good certain guys want to take ownership and say, ‘Hey let’s go.’”

“There was some positives and some negatives to that situation,’’ Gasol said of Butler’s public statements regarding the team. “It’s a good thing to say, at some point, enough is enough, something’s got to happen, something’s got to change, and you’ve got to say something and stir the pot a little bit. But some things also need to stay directed indoors and not be exposed outside.’’

Here’s more from out of the Windy City:

The Bulls are committed to Hoiberg, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said on “The Vertical” podcast (audio link via Twitter at one-hour, one-minute mark), and Wojnarowski suggests that if Hoiberg doesn’t pan out, it jeopardizes the jobs of executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson and GM Gar Forman.
Point guard Kirk Hinrich has been a calming influence for the Bulls and one of the few constants for the franchise the last few seasons, Jake Fischer of SI.com writes in his profile of the player. “He’s been a warrior for the franchise,” small forward Doug McDermott said of Hinrich. “He’s been a really good player and put it all out on the floor. He deserves a lot of credit.”
While he remains an elite passer at the center position, Joakim Noah‘s broken shot mechanics and resulting lack of confidence in his offensive game have made him a liability on the court, Tom Ziller of SB Nation writes.

Pistons Notes: Jennings, Van Gundy, Jackson

November 27th, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Point guard Brandon Jennings cannot go full speed yet and remains weeks away from returning, coach Stan Van Gundy told the gathered media this week, including Hoops Rumors. Jennings, who is still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in January, has been participating in practices but is still targeted to return sometime next month. “He doesn’t have his quickness back,” Van Gundy said. “He’s a ways away but he’s getting there. He can do pretty much everything. It’s just getting back into being able to play at that tempo. There’s definitely been progress but he’s still a ways away.” When he returns, Jennings will likely move ahead of Steve Blake and Spencer Dinwiddie on the second unit.

In other news around the team:

Van Gundy believes opponents should be able to use the Hack-A-Dre strategy at any point in the game or not at all, he declared during the same press conference. Opponents will sometimes resort to intentionally fouling center Andre Drummond, a career 40% free throw shooter, off the ball. The strategy is only useful until two minutes remaining in a quarter, when off-the-ball infractions result in a free throw plus possession. “I don’t like rules that apply to just the last two minutes of a game,” Van Gundy said. “To me, let’s play with the same rules for 48 minutes. If we can grab guys in the first 46 minutes, let us grab guys in the last two or don’t do it at all. And I don’t like the replay rule in the last two minutes. It’s like the other calls don’t matter. A call at 2:05 affects a game as much as 1:55 but we’re not going review that one.”
Van Gundy has gone to a nine-man rotation, expanding the role of first-rounder Stanley Johnson. With backup shooting guard Jodie Meeks sidelined since the first week of the season with a broken right foot, Reggie Bullock got the first crack at the role. But Bullock made just one basket in 10 games and Van Gundy is reluctant to give rookie second-rounder Darrun Hilliard a rotation spot. Thus, Johnson is now the primary backup at both small forward and shooting guard. Neither Bullock nor Hilliard played against the Thunder on Friday night.
The Pistons made the quickest improvement of the three teams involved in the blockbuster that netted point guard Reggie Jackson, David Mayo of MLive.com opines. The Thunder and Jazz also achieved their objectives in the trade deadline deal but the Pistons got the point guard they coveted without giving up a major piece, Mayo continues. They traded two players who are now reserves for the Thunder, point guard D.J. Augustin and small forward Kyle Singler, and two future second-round picks. Jackson signed a five-year, $80MM contract this summer as a restricted free agent.