New Orleans Pelicans: Pass or pursue on 4 free agent small forwards
New Orleans Pelicans: Free agent small forwards, Stanley Johnson
Stanley Johnson
I’ve been laughed at many times for suggesting the Pelicans (or any NBA team) should consider Stanley Johnson in free agency.
But when you are a team with little or no cap space, he is exactly the type of player you should look for to fill out your bench.
He will be a low-cost guy who will likely be on a minimum contract if he gets a guaranteed deal at all.
He was a lottery pick who still has a lot of upside, especially defensively. He is a big, strong dude who can defend all over the floor.
He can’t shoot at all but the Pelicans wouldn’t need him to, as they already have plenty of scoring.
Johnson presents little risk, as he will be on a tiny deal and if it doesn’t work out, he’s just a muscly cheerleader on your bench, no loss.
If he does pan out, you’ve got a guy who has elite defensive potential. If he could just get to league average in shooting, Johnson could be a weapon. And if not, it doesn’t cost them anything.
The Pelicans will have to take some risks on high ceiling/low floor guys in free agency if they want to get impact talent.
The Stanimal is young, has some potential and will be cheap, which is about all you can ask for when filling out the end of your bench.