The Detroit Pistons were the most active team during the trade deadline, and although one of their trades was voided, they are still making a push towards the playoffs. The Pistons had a big win over the East leading Cavaliers on Monday to keep them just two games out of the eighth spot in the East, but it wasn't all good news coming out of that game. Rookie forward Stanley Johnson hurt his shoulder in the game and is expected to miss a couple of weeks, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
Johnson played 22 minutes in the game Monday night, which has been about standard for him since the Pistons acquired Tobias Harris, but he was unable to return after hurting the shoulder. The good news for Johnson is that he is only dealing with a right shoulder strain, according to Jake Chapman of Detroit Sports 105.1.
The Pistons plan for Johnson is to hold him out for at least a week and then reevaluate him at that time. Head coach Stan Van Gundy does not think that Johnson will be back after only a week though and figures that two weeks will likely be the minimum amount of time missed for the 19-year-old.
Johnson was the Pistons' first-round pick in the most recent NBA Draft (eighth overall), and they have very high hopes for him. Although his role had been increasing before Harris arrived Johnson's rookie season has left a lot to be desired. His PER (9.8) is the lowest on the team among regular rotation players, and he is shooting just 39 percent from the field and 32 percent from the three-point line.
Johnson's play has picked up recently, though, as he has done things other than score, like rebound and play solid defense. Overall, Johnson has been a big part of the Pistons rotation for the majority of the season, but the arrival of Harris does soften this blow a little bit. While Johnson is out, Darrun Hilliard may be the guy who steps in and takes the backup wing minutes behind Marcus Morris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Hilliard has been out of the rotation for much of the season, but he has appeared in 11 consecutive games and is starting to earn Van Gundy's trust.
