Detroit Pistons Summer League Notes

by Gautham Nagesh

I’ve been watching the Detroit Pistons in the Orlando Summer League on NBA TV over the past week, which tells you how terrible TV has been since I got back from vacation. Still, I can’t pretend I wasn’t excited to watch our first round pick Andre Drummond in action. The term man-child is overused and frankly weird, but if it ever applies, Drummond is the perfect candidate.

Just 18 years old after his freshman season at UConn, Drummond slid to the Pistons at #9 in last month’s draft, prompting a gleeful Mr. Burns impersonation (probably) from Joe Dumars as he phoned in the pick. But Andre looks every bit the NBA center right now, nearly seven feet tall and if possible, a svelte 280 lbs. The Pistons have said they don’t want him to lose any weight, and it seems like the right decision. Drummond is incredibly bouncy for a man of his size; he pops off the floor like a supercharged rubber ball, the kind that costs an extra 25 cents.[[MORE]]

There have been questions about Andre’s motor and focus, questions that can rightly be asked of practically every male of his age and natural ability. He tends to disappear at times, when he could be dominating on D constantly like a taller Ben Wallace. He isn’t a terrific rebounder yet, and his offensive game could be termed raw at best. One area where he does resemble Big Ben right now is at the free throw stripe, where he could easily threaten league records for futility during his rookie season.

But to his credit, Andre’s shooting form is decent and the ball rotates well from his hand, which suggests he could improve with practice. He tends to fade unnecessarily when he shoots, but the motion is fluid and not unpleasing to the eye. He won’t be mistaken for Patrick Ewing or Hakeem Olajuwon any time soon, but he could develop enough of a mid-range jumper to make him dangerous in the post down the road. He probably won’t ever be a dominating inside scorer, but averaging a double-double would be a realistic goal for his prime.

Andre’s defensive instincts won’t take as long to hone. He is already a natural shot blocker with active hands in the post. He should be able to step in and defend his position from the opening game. At times, he shows remarkable agility and poise for a man his size, giving you a glimpse of something seldom seen at the center position. But he lacks the killer instinct at this point to make him the focus of any team. Starting this season alongside the more polished Greg Monroe with Big Ben as a mentor is probably the best possible situation for Drummond, with no real expectations aside from growth this season.

Kendrick Perkins seems like a reasonable expectation. Big and strong in the post, a credible starter in the middle on a championship team. With some discipline and growth he could potentially be Tyson Chandler or Wallace, one of the premier defensive big men in the league, though he will have to contend with top pick Anthony Davis, whose ceiling appears even higher. If you’re looking for an unrealistic expectation based on scant evidence, Dikembe Mutombo would probably be the best case scenario. Drummond is huge and remarkably athletic. If he stays healthy, he could eventually grow into one of the better shot blockers in league history.

But such talk is way beyond premature, and right now Drummond’s main goal should be avoiding foul trouble and listening to the right people. He will undoubtedly be given an opportunity to play early (though Jason Maxiell and Wallace are unlikely to roll over for him), but he must seize those moments without racking up unnecessary fouls or getting abused in the post. In his favor are his natural gifts and the overall decline of post play in the NBA. In a league where Roy Hibbert is an All-Star, Drummond will be the biggest man on the court more often than not.

If Andre shows enough promise to cement himself as a building block of Detroit’s future, then the Pistons will find themselves in the enviable position of having the three most important positions locked down for the foreseeable future. Scoring swingmen are a dime a dozen in the NBA, and frequently disenchanted with their current employer. Finding a shooting guard and small forward to fill the holes alongside Drummond, Monroe and Brandon Knight would not be difficult, if those three live up to expectations.

But that would require a major step forward from Knight and Monroe this season, along with a credible performance from Drummond in his rookie year. At least there’s finally some reason for hope of a better future at the Palace.

Other observations from this week’s action:

Second round pick Kim English has shown a beautiful stroke and nice touch beyond the arc this week, along with surprising competence on defense. I guess playing two-guard for Missouri in the Big 12 turned him into a pretty solid perimeter defender, because he excelled at keeping his man in front of him this week. With Ben Gordon finally gone (thankfully), English should get first crack at backing up Rodney Stuckey at the 2. He looks like he could bring some much-needed outside shooting off the bench as a rookie.

Last year’s second round pick Kyle Singler has proven himself a smart player, hardly surprising for a Duke alum. Singler has good size and makes solid decisions; most importantly, he understands his duties as a role player. He moves the ball well, works hard on defense, and hits the glass aggressively at both ends of the court. Singler could back up either forward position, though he will likely be buried on the depth chart behind the big men listed above as well as Tayshaun Prince, Corey Maggette and Jonas Jerebko. I see him as an 11th or 12th man, a solid, professional practice player that can be counted on when called upon during the game.

Undrafted free agent Yancy Gates out of Cincinnati produced solid numbers during limited playing time, and flashed enough potential to justify stashing him in the D League to see what he can become. Gates has struggled with his weight in the past, but in his defense, he’s absolutely massive and didn’t look that soft on the glass in Orlando. I watched him play in college and have no doubt he can bang with NBA big men. He showed some surprising skills on offense while thoroughly outplaying Vernon Macklin, whom the Pistons have decided to let go. Gates should take his place as the developmental big man prospect on hand to push Andre Drummond.

Then there’s fourth-year guard/forward Austin Daye, who once again lit it up from the floor at Summer League earlier this week. Daye proved again that he is basically a 6-10 swing man that can’t miss, as long as there are no fans in the stands. He has owned Orlando before and will probably fill it up during the preseason as well. As much as I want to believe in him, I can’t help but view this as fool’s gold. The rail-thin Daye is simply too weak to match up with NBA swing men and small forwards, let alone play at the 4 as some have suggested. He’s not athletic enough to rebound consistently or get off his own shot either.

That makes Daye a tall spot-up shooter that’s basically useless if his shot isn’t falling. Which it usually isn’t. I’d take a second round pick or cash for him tomorrow, if they could get that even. I hope I’m wrong about him, I hope this is the year he develops into a consistent shooter and contributor off the bench. But I’m not holding my breath. Neither are the Pistons, which is why they brought in English and Maggette. I’m guessing the plan is to showcase Daye in the preseason, then ship him to whoever still has hope for the kid. Good luck with that.