The Detroit Pistons have high hopes for Henry Ellenson, but is he more of a long-term project? Stan Van Gundy’s comments hint that he’s going to have a hard time seeing the floor.
When the Detroit Pistons drafted Henry Ellenson–a player many projected in the top-10–I, and many others thought it was a steal.
The Pistons are bullish on his long-term potential and think he can be an incredibly strong offensive player in his NBA career, but Stan Van Gundy’s recent comments suggest that they are going to be patient with him.
"“I would say Jon’s got more athleticism – quicker, better jumper. Henry’s the better ballhandler at this point. Jon can put the ball on the floor – got a quick first step – but he’s more of a straight-line guy where Henry can really play off of the dribble. Jon’s a better shooter right now. Henry’s a better guy creating shots. Actually, I think it’s good. I think they complement each other, which gives us different things. But the main thing is Jon’s 27 years old and Henry’s 19. Jon’s played in NBA games and Henry hasn’t.”“I told Henry, when we start training camp – and I didn’t even know who the guy was at that point, so you had an open box – I said that guy will be ahead of you Sept. 27. My point to him was, you’re a 19-year-old rookie. If that guy’s not ahead of you on day one of training camp, then we signed the wrong guy.“I see great things in him, but that eight years is huge. Playing in this league is not easy. So he’s still got a long way to go and a lot to learn. But we’re really encouraged with his first two weeks with us and excited about his future.”"
What’s most telling about Van Gundy’s comments is that he told Ellenson he was going to be third on the depth chart prior to the signing of Jon Leuer.
Perhaps there is some underlying motivation by Van Gundy here, hoping Ellenson works hard in the offseason to become a rotation player. However, Van Gundy usually tells it like it is.
That said, expect to see Ellenson some every night, just not much.
Van Gundy has always been a coach that is going to play the best players right now. Right now Leuer is a better player than Ellenson, though that may not be the case in two years.
If Ellenson does the most with the minutes he’s given, I could see him splitting time with Leuer, but it’s evident that going into the season that Ellenson is at the bottom of the depth chart.
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I think that is the right call given the position the team is in–as long as Ellenson still gets some playing time each night.