Former Arizona Basketball star Stanley Johnson is in his rookie year with the Detroit Pistons, and is being tasked with guarding the best player in the world, while playing in his first playoff series, but don’t tell him that…
Even though Stanley Johnson was only in Tucson for one year, we saw up close just how tough of a player he is. He accepted every challenge thrown at him, including typically guarding the best player on the floor, a battle that either went to him or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson while at Arizona. He came to Tucson with an NBA-ready body, and at 6’7″ 245 lbs., he was every bit of a man among boys most of the time on the court.
His signature toughness, grit, and physical play wasn’t going to be questioned entering the NBA. We all knew he wasn’t going to change his style of play just because of the change in level. The question was whether or not he would shy away from guarding all-star caliber NBA players. Well, any questions about how he would adjust, have now been put to rest.
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In his first playoff game of his career, Stanley was put up against the best player in the world, LeBron James. While most rookies would likely get caught up in the moment and get star struck. Frankly, who would blame them? It’s their rookie year; they’re in the playoffs, and to top it all off, they’re guarding the player who most grew up idolizing and stylizing their game after.
What we saw in Game 1 between the Cavaliers and Pistons, is a 19-year-old rookie who fought back. When asked why he isn’t afraid of LeBron, as most rookies would be, Johnson responded with: “Why would I be?”
His numbers for the night wasn’t what made the headlines, as he only finished with a respectable nine points (3-3 from 3-pt) and eight rebounds, instead what caught the media and viewers’ attention was his physical play against LeBron.
In Game 1 we saw what typically happens with the top NBA players. James was able to get away with almost anything he wanted. This isn’t ZZ being haters, or only saying this because it involves a former Wildcat, James is the best player in the world, hands down! If you don’t think so, you’re only kidding yourself, and just being salty. Along with being the best player in the world, James gets the perks of being an NBA superstar, and that means not getting a lot of calls, but getting fouls called on whoever is guarding them.
When someone gives LeBron a taste of his own medicine, he gets offended, as if to say, ‘How dare you play defense against me?’ In Game 1 we all saw LeBron lower his shoulder, throw his weight around, and try to shove his opponent to the ground. After Johnson got called for a foul when it was LeBron trying to throw him to the ground, here’s what he had to say:
“The only moment where I was mad and almost lost my cool…. I understand he’s a physical guy, but if he wants to grab me and throw me to the floor and you call a foul on me, I just don’t understand that. Obviously, he got the call, and it’s whatever but, for me, that was like, ‘Wow.’ I’ve never had a person grab my jersey and try to throw me to the floor, and then I come up on the wrong end of things. That woke me up a little bit and, from that point on, it’s on. If you want to foul me, we can both go to the floor.” — The Stanimal.
You might recall a couple of years ago when Stanley was at the LeBron James Skills Academy; he wanted to guard LeBron during their scrimmage, and from what we all heard, Stanley held his own more often than not. Understandably, LeBron probably doesn’t remember all that much from that day, but this is a battle that began when Stanley was 18, and now continues into the post-season of his first NBA season.
Much of the hype between Game 1 and 2 revolved around what was said by the two Stans (Stanley Johnson and Piston Head Coach Stan Van Gundy). When James was asked about what was being said, he took the high road and decided not to get into it. We all knew LeBron was instead going to make his statement on the court.
The battle between the two teams continued into game 2, and the physical play didn’t let down either. In fact, it even got chippier than before.
After the game, Johnson was quoted as saying that he is in LeBron’s head, however, James’ numbers and the fact the Cavs lead the series 2-0, the results say otherwise. James scored 27 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished three assists in 40 minutes of Game 2. James added another 22 points and 11 assists in 41 minutes of Game 1.
All of the trash talking doesn’t matter when your team is down in the series and seemingly hasn’t had an answer for James yet.
“He jabbers, he moves his mouth sometimes. Their whole team does, kind of like their little cheerleaders on the bench. Every time you walk in the right corner. They’re always saying something like they’re playing basketball like they’re actually in the game. They’re only seven or eight players who play; I don’t see why the other players are talking. They might as well just be in the stands, in my opinion.” –Stanley Johnson.
“I wish he would just talk when it’s 0-0, not when he’s up 16 and already got it going. That means something. That means you’re confident in yourself. You believe in what you’re going to do. Don’t talk after you’ve made a couple of shots. Anybody can do that,” Johnson continued after Game 2.
Of course, when you have been as vocal as Johnson has, the social media world and sports analysts (cough, cough, Stephen A. Smith) alike are going to look blindly at the statistics alone and bury the 19-year-old rookie.
However, let’s look at Stanley’s numbers for a second. LeBron has played a total of 81 minutes in the first two games. Adversely, Johnson has played far fewer, logging just 16 minutes and 20 minutes in games 1 and 2 respectively.
Obviously, he was not on the floor guarding LeBron for 81 minutes, so, of course, James was going to get his points regardless. Ripping Johnson apart for his comments, citing James’ stats as evidence is entirely unfounded. Don’t forget; James has played an extra 45 minutes compared to Johnson. I haven’t crunched the numbers, but I’d be interested in seeing how the numbers, in fact, stack up when Johnson has guarded James.
“I didn’t take anything from it but a cheap-a** shot.” – Johnson
James also made it clear that Stanley is in his head, one way or another. How else would you explain LeBron going back to his Heat days with his shoulder bump? When asked after the game about the shoulder bump, Johnson had this to say: “That was Fugazi (slang for fake). He didn’t bump me. I just didn’t move my direction. I don’t know what y’all take from that. I didn’t take anything from it but a cheap-a** shot. Cheap-a** bump.”
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In the end, if the Cavs win the series (which I’m 98% sure they will), the trash talking won’t matter, and this will all be seemingly irrelevant come this time next year. Ultimately, people are going to criticize and tear Stanley apart for being outspoken, but who cares? Look at Kobe Bryant, he is and was just as confident and outspoken. As I said before, we are finally seeing not just a rookie, but an NBA player (and more importantly a former Wildcat) not bow down to ‘The King.” BearDown, Stanley!