For all those that say NBA Summer League doesn't really matter, take note.
Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy was so impressed by Stanley Johnson's play and maturity level during Summer League that it sounds like he's ready to give him more playing time.
Here's more from Ketih Langlois at Pistons.com:
Van Gundy has learned to take Summer League performances – good or bad – with a grain of salt. But he’s comfortable saying that he saw enough from Johnson in Orlando – where he was widely considered the top rookie performer – to say he’ll have an impact in his rookie season.
“He’s got a long way to go and a lot to learn, but there’s definitely something there that gives him a chance to be a really, really good layer. He’s got extreme confidence and an extreme competitiveness. He wants to go out and kick everybody’s (backside). And it’s a good thing. I do think Summer League gives you a confidence that you can look to a guy playing. Going into Summer League, I was sort of, ‘Well, we’ll wait and see in terms of his readiness right away.’ But coming out of Summer League, yeah, I have a pretty good confidence that certainly at some point in the year he’s a guy who’s going to be able to play significant minutes at significant times.”
(h/t Pistons.com)
