Detroit Pistons: 3 Players That Disappointed This Season
With the reigning Coach of the Year, Dwane Casey at the helm, Detroit Pistons were 21st in offense and 12th in defense in his inaugural season. Ending the year with a 41-41 (0.500) win-loss record, Blake Griffin and his Pistons somehow managed to grab the final berth in the postseason, only to be swept by the mighty Bucks in the very first round.
For things to continue on an upward swing next year as well, many of the pieces need to fall in place. Griffin's All-Star numbers and his leadership were a couple of positives in an otherwise forgettable outing for the franchise.
Many experts expressed their displeasure at the lack of help for Blake (who averaged 24.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 5.4 apg) down in Detroit. Come to think of it, the team as a whole struggled despite him posting career-high numbers.
So without further ado, here are the three most disappointing individual performers for Detroit in the 2018-19 season.
#1 Stanley Johnson
Johnson was picked 8th overall by the Pistons back in 2015 in what was considered a developmental effort by the franchise. In college, Johnson shot a decent 37% from long range on more than three 3-point shots a game. But the 6-foot-7 small forward from Arizona State failed to conjure a consistent 3-point shot in Detroit.
In the 48 games he played for Detroit this season, Stanley shot a miserable 28% from beyond the arc and averaged just 7.5 points per game. He was slated to become the next Jimmy Butler but his distance shooting issues over a prolonged period of time meant more problems for Detroit.
Over the course of four seasons in the NBA, Stanley's 3-point shooting numbers - .307, .292, .286, .288 - were unbelievably consistent but disappointing at the same time. Attempting over 7 shots per game from the field in an average of 20 minutes of playtime, his numbers were as underwhelming as they could be.
Johnson was scooped up by the Pelicans in a three-team trade involving the Pistons and Bucks.