Dodd: Arizona’s Stanley Johnson has all the physical tools, but is no sure thing
Jun 24, 2015, 11:43 AM | Updated: 2:37 pm
Busts and flops are a common occurrence in the NBA Draft, as a team is as likely to draft a Michael Beasley or a Greg Oden as it is to draft a Kawhi Leonard or a Stephen Curry.
Former Arizona forward Stanley Johnson is regarded as a consensus top-10 selection in the 2015 NBA Draft Thursday, but which category will he fall under? Will he boom or bust?
ASU men’s basketball color analyst Kyle Dodd thinks Johnson could go either way.
“Stanley Johnson, I think, is that guy (to bust),” Dodd told Doug & Wolf on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Wednesday. “I think he’s the guy that has all the physical tools. We saw it locally here last year, the guy’s just a man child. He’s a beast. There was times last year mentally where he was checked out.
“T.J. McConnell and those guys led the way, but really, as good as Stanley (Johnson) was at times, he really dictated the way (Arizona) played. He could be a game-changer, but he’s also a little bit scary to me. Just mentally, I don’t know if he has it all there.”
Johnson has been “oozing” with confidence in pre-draft interviews, Dodd said, telling teams he will be the NBA Rookie of the Year.
Johnson, a 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward from Fullerton, Calif., was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2015 and was a First Team All-Pac-12 selection. He averaged 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in playing 28.4 minutes per game.
Dodd said Johnson could be a star in the NBA if he fulfills expectations, adding that he would select him in the top 10 of the draft over Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker, another forward projected to be a lottery selection.
“Stanley Johnson, as much as I would like to just tick off some more (Arizona) fans this morning because any time I do that it’s a good day, I think Stanley is just one of those talented kids that could really be a game-changer.”
