Pistons’ Stanley Johnson puts on unfortunate record-setting shooting display

The Detroit Pistons surely want to see some offensive improvement from Stanley Johnson this year, but he’s not off to a good start.

Since being drafted eighth overall by the Detroit Pistons in 2015, Stanley Johnson has underachieved. He has only started seven of 150 games over his first two seasons, and his scoring averaged dropped by nearly half from his rookie season (8.1 points per game) to last year (4.4 points per game).

Shooting has not been Johnson’s forte, with a career field goal percentage below 37 percent (36.7 percent) and a three-point conversion rate of just 29.2 percent in 2016-17. But a likely move to his natural position of small forward this year spurred some optimism for improvement all the way around in his third NBA season.

The Pistons opened their season, and a new arena, Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets. The won the game 102-90, led by 27 points and 10 rebounds from Tobias Harris.

Johnson started the game, played 40 minutes and contributed four rebounds (three defensive), a game-high four steals and one assist with a solid plus/minus of +6. But it’s his record-setting shooting display that will be stand out more than anything else from his performance against the Hornets.

Johnson did make both of his free throws to avoid going scoreless, so that’s good. His 0-for-13 from the floor may be the worst opening night shooting performance in the shot clock era, but 12 other players (per Basketball Reference) have equaled or surpassed Johnson’s ineptitude in a game since the start of the 1983-1984 season. Out of that less than illustrious list though, only Vernon Maxwell (for the Houston Rockets-Dec. 14,1990 against the then-Washington Bullets) equaled Johnson’s 0-for-6 from beyond he arc.

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Luckily, Johnson contributed well in other facets of he game, otherwise Stan Van Gundy surely would not have played him anywhere near 40 minutes. Winning the game helps too, and Johnson can really only improve from here on out on the offensive end.