Where Does Henry Ellenson Fit into the Pistons’ Plans Next Year?

The Pistons selected Henry Ellenson 18th in this year’s NBA draft, a spot considered a steal by most. Where does he fit into the Pistons’ future plans?

The Detroit Pistons haven’t selected outside the top 10 in the NBA draft since 2009 when they took Austin Daye with the 15th pick. That is until this year when the team selected power forward Henry Ellenson with the 18th pick in the NBA draft.

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The Marquette freshmen averaged 17 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 44 percent from the field. It’s very clear that Ellenson has NBA talent, but he is not your typical Stan Van Gundy big man. Van Gundy has proven to be a fan of stretch fours; from Ryan Anderson, to Rashard Lewis, and most recently Marcus Morris.

Van Gundy likes fours that have the ability to stretch the floor and allow the big men to work down low. Ellenson has flashed potential from the three-point line shooting 28 percent in college, but is still raw and inconsistent.

So where does Ellenson fit into the pistons roster? With Marcus Morris, Tobias Harris, Stanley Johnson, and freshly signed Jon Leuer all in line to absorb minutes at power forward, that may limit Ellenson’s opportunities. He may also see time as a third-string option at center, behind Baynes.

Unlike past years the Pistons now have a surplus of solid rotation players capable of contributing. At 19-years old there’s no need to rush the rookie into playing time. The Pistons will likely ease the him into the rotation and polish his all around game before asking him to take on a bigger role.

Many viewed Ellenson as a lottery talent, but it’s not fair to expect him to step in right away and produce the way Piston’s rookies have in the recent past. However, that does not mean that there shouldn’t be expectations. I expect to see Ellenson to play around 10-15 minutes a night, if that, during his rookie year.

To earn more time he must develop a more consistent jumper, adjust to defending the NBA big man, and get stronger inside. There will be plenty of opportunity to learn from the Piston’s veterans, and allow Ellenson to develop throughout the year.

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For the first time in years the Pistons are heading in the right direction with a solid opportunity to clinch their second consecutive playoff berth. Although Ellenson may not provide instant results, he makes Detroit’s future even brighter.