Auburn Hills — Stanley Johnson recounts the words like a daily affirmation.
Elite defender. Playmaker. Three-point shooter. Great teammate.
Johnson cracks a smile as he rattles off each of the bullet points from a “role card” that Pistons coach Dwane Casey gave each player during training camp.
In Casey’s first season, it was a way to lay a framework and set expectations for each player, by citing their strengths.
After struggling to find a defined role and consistent production in his first three seasons in the NBA under Stan Van Gundy, Johnson saw the role card as a revelation, distilling his seemingly boundless potential into a manageable set of expectations.