With the hopes of reaching the postseason all but over, it is time to take a look at another potential lottery pick in this year’s upcoming draft. Arizona forward, Stanley Johnson, has received high praise as of late and has the potential to provide the Magic with many options.
Stanley Johnson is a 6-foot-7, 243-pound freshman forward that has been compared to LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. He has the physical stature to be able to guard shooting guards to power forwards. He is known for his defensive presence, but that is not to say he does not have a well-rounded offensive game at the same time. His offense needs some work, but there is still a lot to like.
NBADraft.net adds some light to some of Johnson’s strengths, “…he plays to his strengths, never takes bad shots, never tries to show off, instead takes what the game gives him…”.
Many sources seem to compliment his physical presence and how much muscle he has, which he is able to use to his advantage on smaller defenders. They also mention Johnson having a high IQ and showing a lot of energy when he’s on the floor.
On the negative side, Johnson still has some work to do on fine tuning his offensive game and becoming a more reliable shooter. There are also some concerns about his athleticism. He has the ability to handle the ball, but this area could be sharpened as well.
"“…he plays to his strengths, never takes bad shots, never tries to show off, instead takes what the game gives him…” – NBADraft.net"
No one is perfect coming out of college and neither will Johnson, but it seems Johnson definitely has the potential to be a special player through hard work and dedication. He has posted double digit scoring in 21 of his 25 games and has recently been named as a candidate for the Julius Erving Award. Here is a look at what he is doing this season statistically:
Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CBB: View Original Table
Generated 2/20/2015.
So now that we know a little bit about Stanley Johnson, how would he fit with the Magic if he were to be available when the team is on the clock for their selection in this year’s coming draft?
For one, adding him to the already strong defensive-minded backcourt of Elfrid Payton and Victor Oladipo would give opposing teams absolute nightmares. All three players specialize in defense and would make it very challenging for other teams to be successful around the perimeter. This could help take some pressure off of the frontcourt players.
With the addition of Johnson, this could also make Tobias Harris expendable. Most fans have already heard the rumors of Harris possibly leaving for a bigger city due to incentives with his Nike contract and it is uncertain whether Orlando will match the offers he could get from restricted free agency.
Even though it would be hard to see Harris leave, the team could use him for finding a trade partner that is willing to give up a rim-protecting power forward in return. It seems having someone who can protect the basket and alter shots is what the Magic need the most right now. The Magic could maybe even get additional assets (draft picks) if they were to deal Harris.
Even so, the Magic keeping another quality player when it is time to start parting with certain assets is always valuable.
So how likely is it that Stanley Johnson will be available when it is the Magic’s turn to pick?
Orlando is currently projected to have the fifth overall pick. It seems this is right where Johnson is expected to fall. However, the Lakers are projected to pick before the Magic and there have been rumors that they would be interested in selecting Johnson. Either way, look for Johnson’s stock to continue to rise as the college season rolls on.