Toronto Raptors: How Stanley Johnson can earn minutes

Develop some sort of an offensive game

“Play defense” and “have an offense skillset” sounds extremely straightforward and general, but that’s exactly what needs to happen for Stanley Johnson to get minutes. One skill that can contribute to the offense to go along with a disciplined defense should be enough for a chance at the rotation.

Stanley Johnson has shown in his tenure in Detroit and at times when he plays in Toronto that he has the tools to be a great defender on a consistent basis. However, he has yet to show any promise on the other side of the floor. The most notable issue being his jump shot with a career average of 29-percent from three on nearly three attempts a game.

He has the strength and athleticism to get to the rim but often relies on craftiness which usually results in a turnover. The other players who are fighting for minutes have some sort of offensive game that they can use to contribute. Chris Boucher, Terence Davis, and Malcolm Miller are all recognized as good shooters. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been a consistent interior scorer as well as a great playmaker. Even Patrick McCaw who has faced heavy criticism has enough playmaking skills to have some sort of impact.

What is interesting was how low Stanley Johnson’s free throw attempts were. His career-high is 2.1 attempts a game during the 2017-18 season but every other season is an average below 1.5 attempts. He shoots a solid free throw percentage at 76-percent, so being able to draw fouls is the next step to how he can get better.