ORLANDO – Tuesday wasn’t Stanley Johnson’s first go-around with Luke Kennard. It wasn’t even the first time they were teammates. That happened three years ago, when Johnson and Kennard were gold medal-winning teammates for USA Basketball in the FIBA U-18 world championship.
So there’s no better authority on Kennard’s NBA potential and readiness to help the Pistons than Johnson, who though two years ahead of Kennard down the NBA path is only a few weeks older than him. Both celebrated their 21st birthdays over the past month.
“I think he’s a guy we can really, really use, the way we shot the ball last year,” Johnson said of Kennard after the Pistons opened practice for Summer League on Tuesday morning.