StanleyJohnson.gif

5 - Stanley Johnson

6-6, 242 Small Forward
Arizona Freshman
Birthday
05/29/96 (27.8 yrs)
Hometown
Fullerton, CA
High School
Mater Dei
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
8
Size
8
Defense
9
Strength
9
Quickness
7
Leadership
8
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
7
Ball Handling
8
Potential
9
Passing
7
Intangibles
9

NBA Comparison: Kawhi Leonard/Ron Artest

Strengths:  Versatile and two-way wing player with considerable upside (turns 19 on May 29th) … Solid feel for the game … Ultimate competitor and does the little things it takes to win … Athletically gifted with a strong body frame … Great physical attributes and nice size … 6-11 ½ wingspan … Both upper and lower body are rock solid … Combines speed, quickness, power at a high level … Has great footwork … Can score the ball in numerous ways (still polishing his offensive game) … Good change of pace player … Slasher … Shooting stroke has shown improvement … Jump shot has balance and elevation … Capable of hitting jump shots off the dribble and by pulling or spotting up … Can knock down spot up 3-pointers (has a quick release and always keeps hands and feet set) … Has range on his shot … Possesses a floater (has a nice touch) … A freight train in transition when he’s running with a head of steam … He’s best in transition, where his natural athleticism allows him to flourish (takes long strides) … Fills the lane correctly when he needs to … Ball-handling abilities are good for someone his size … Handles the ball well on the fast break and in pick and rolls … Good with splitting defenders and knowing when to pull up in pick and roll situations … Effective when going underneath screens on the pick and roll … Able to create his own scoring opportunities off the dribble … Has shown that he can pass the ball when he’s under control and taking his time … Relentless when driving the ball … Bullies his way to the basket with his strength and keeps defenders on his hip … Smaller guards are no match when he takes them off the dribble … Able to finish at the rim or draw fouls through contact … Has a strong first step, can quickly change directions and turn the corner … Strong driver and finisher in transition and halfcourt … Attacks closeouts really well with his power and quickness … When facing up, he’s able to attack from mid-range spots … Comfortbale and knows how to operate on the block against smaller big men … Does a good job moving without the ball … Rebounds the ball extremely well for a wing … Crashes the offensive boards with great aggression and timing … Can rebound in traffic, never stops, outworks others … Is not afraid to mix it up in the paint … Can guard multiple positions (spots 1-4) … Excellent on ball defender (can lockdown when focused) … Uses his huge chest to muscle any offensive threat … Puts pressure on the ball and has a good stance … Keeps his (big) hands high and active … Able to cover ground quickly on closeouts and can recover if he gets beat … Moves and chops his feet well … Capable of guarding smaller bigs … Uses his length to deny passes and contest shots … Can block shots using his athleticism … Gives great effort when chasing and denying shooters off screens … Good anticipation when playing the passing lanes (1.5 steals per game) … Strength allows him to hold his own when he’s defending on the low block … Plays tough and physical defense … Has a high motor when’s locked in and doesn’t give up … Got to the free throw at a nice rate (average FT shooter) … Confident player who doesnt shy away from taking over a game or being the go-to player … Tremendous will power. Transformed himself from a 6-5 PF as a HS frehsman into a legit wing player with the ability to create for himself and others off the dribble at the wing position …

Weaknesses: A little inconsistent on both ends of the floor this past season … Needs to improve his ability to directly finish as the rim … Better leaper off of two feet than one. Not incredibly explosive, just solid leaping ability … Has nice touch overall, but not against length … Doesn’t go up as strong versus longer players … Does not finish as well against contact as his strength may make you think … Is often out of control when driving to the rim … Sometimes settles for floaters too often … Needs to prove he can make his teammates better … Struggles with making decisions (setting up teammates) when he’s attacking the basket in transition … Sometimes has tunnel vision when he’s on the move on offense and does not look to pass to his teammates … Missed a lot of open teammates … Not an accurate passer … Needs to develop his left hand more (finishing and ball-handling) … Often relies too much on overpowering and going through defenders on the dribble drive … Forgets about his teammates at times because he tries to prove himself as a scorer … Play more below the rim in half court settings … Struggles at times to create for himself against quick defenders … Fails to create separation in isolation situations … Gets too caught up in creating contact that it takes his focus off getting to the rim and finishing … This also gets him called for a lot of charges … Struggled with shot selection … Tends to push the ball even when there’s no numbers … Needs to pick his spots better … Forces bad shots in the paint against multiple defenders … Short arms his shots … Streaky shooter … Needs to develop a more consistent jumper from mid-range and the 3-point line … Jump shot has a flat/low release … Shoots contested jumpers early in the clock … A little turnover prone … Effort level on defense fluctuates at times … Needs to be consistently locked in on defense instead of just in flashes (has lapses) … Although he can recover well, he gets beat off the dribble from the perimeter … Either loses his man or overhelps … Gets caught ball watching … Slow in his recognition of screens at times … Lets his aggressiveness get the best of him … Good rebounder but sometimes fails to put his body on a man and box out …

Notes: Johnson turned in standout freshman season for the Arizona Wildcats with averages of 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game … His shooting efficiency improved throughout the season, finishing as a 44 percent shooter from the field, including 37 percent from the 3-point line … He played an integral role for Wildcats team that went 34-4 and reached the Elite 8 for the second consecutive year … Standing at 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, he’s not a typical 18-year-old freshman … He has great athleticism, an NBA ready body, chiseled frame, and often looks like a man among boys … The California native is relentless attacking the basket, especially in transition where he has no issue with throwing down powerful highlight dunks on a nightly basis … Johnson still has a few things to "shore up", such as his shooting, slowing down his pace at the right times and creating for his teammates, but he has tremendous upside and is only scratching the surface of his abilities … He finished his freshman campaign as a Third-Team All-American (NABC), a Freshman All-American Team selection (USBWA), First-Team All-Pac 12, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection, and the winner of the Julius Erving Award …

Tajh Jenkins 4/23/15

Strengths: The first two things that jump out are his incredible football player like body and his competitiveness … He’s a standout with his on ball defense where he is able to use his huge chest to muscle any offensive threat … But compared to Ron Artest, he looks like a much better defender off the ball, using his large wingspan to deflect passes and his big hands to snatch the ball away from opposing players … Defensively, he’s absolutely a beast, who could immediate play in the NBA creating problems for many NBA wings … Perhaps another of his best characteristics, really rare in a 18 year old is how he plays to his strengths, never takes a bad shots, never tries to show off, instead takes what the game gives him … He uses his big shoulders to get into the lane and finish with contact; underrated athlete off one foot, and he doesn’t have any problems finishing with both hands around the rim … He’s a very good ball handler for a player his size … He was a four until his HS junior year. He can also help the guards bringing the ball up and has strong IQ and good decision making … Intangibles are where he separates himself from the herd, a sharp, focused kid who understand his role and wants to win, which is what everybody looks for in the league … Doesn’t have the length of Leonard or his offensive skills, but the right attitude will help him have a better career than more talented players …

Weaknesses: The offensive side has to become better for him to become an impact player on both ends … his biggest issue right now is his jump shot … Not that he doesn’t score, he actually shoots pretty well for his form … The problem is that right now his shot is very flat and the release point is in front of the face which doesn’t allow him to be consistent, particular when tired or under pressure from a contest … In high school, many players contesting his shot are smaller than him, but in the league he will go against elite athletes that will obscure his vision … Just a small change rising his release point 6-12 inches will have a great impact on his percentages … Definitely something they will work with him on at Arizona next year … Becoming a reliable 3 point shooter could make the difference in his career … My other big concern is that he could have a Trevor Ariza kind of moment, deciding to be the best or second best player in the team where he will struggle a lot … As long as he stays in his role (3rd or 4th option and dirty work) he can be absolutely be among the best at it … His athleticism is cause of concern because he really struggles jumping off of two feet (needing momentum)  and this really hurts him on rebounds where he has to work twice as hard … Despite those weakness I really believe Stanley intangibles will give him a chance to be a valuable NBA contributor …

Outlook: DJ Khalid’s “All I do is Win” would be the perfect theme song for Stanley’s young basketball career  … Never has a player in California history been able to have the impact that he had in the High School world, winning four state championships in four years and becoming a living legend in California’s high school system … But if you are looking for fancy passes, ankle breaking cross-overs and And-1 moves you’d likely be disappointed in watching Stanley … 6’7 with a 6’11 wingspan, Johnson has a great body for a kid of his age, and he is not afraid to use it … Does not have a big vertical athlete by any means, particularly off two feet, but being more than 240 pounds of muscles and strength makes him a nightmare for any offensive player trying to go by him. It’s obvious Stanley will one day be a good NBA player, maybe never an NBA All-Star, but the 3rd/4th best player in a contending team. The perfect piece for many teams who love to have a player of his quality put the team in front of personal needs …

Notes: Measured 6’7.5 (with shoes) 226 lbs with a 6’10.5 wingspan at the 2013 Kevin Durant Skills Academy … Measured 6’6.75, 242.7 lbs, with a 6’11.5 wingspan and 8’8 reach at the 2014 USA U18 tryouts … Measured 6’7.5 (in shoes) 235 lbs, with a 6’10.5 wingspan at the 2014 Kevin Durant Skills Academy

Rick Fois 4/14/14

June 30, 2014
May 7, 2014

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