Stanley Johnson Suspended for Violating Team Rules: Latest Details and Reaction

Detroit Pistons small forward Stanley Johnson has been suspended for one game for violating team rules, according to Keith Langlois of the Pistons' official website. 

It will keep him out of Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, but he will travel with the team to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder on Saturday, per James Hawkins of the Detroit News. 

Now in his second year in the league, Johnson has regressed as Detroit's sixth man off the bench. 

After a rookie season in which he averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game, Johnson is only seeing 16.1 minutes per game in 2016-17 while putting up 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds. 

A lot of it has to do with confusion as to where Johnson can correctly fit within the Pistons' system, as head coach Stan Van Gundy discussed with Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press:

"

The only thing we know for sure is that he can guard three positions and sometimes four and that he’s a good rebounder. Offensively, I don’t think we have an identity for him. Is he a big two-guard in the mold of Wes Matthews, Jimmy Butler who is going to go down and be a post-up guy against smaller twos, but then also develop into a good shooter? I think he has the capabilities probably of either, but I think we need to find an identity with him.

"

While Johnson told Ellis his confidence hasn't been affected by the decrease in playing time and numbers, this suspension might raise a few questions regarding the second-year man's morale in Detroit. 

It will be imperative for Johnson to have a positive return when his suspension is lifted or else it could seriously damage the relationship between player and organization. 

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.