Kennard, Ellenson lead Detroit Pistons in loss in Orlando
The Detroit Pistons lose their first Orlando Summer League game in controversial fashion against the Oklahoma City Thunder behind strong performances from their last two first round picks, Henry Ellenson and Luke Kennard.
The Detroit Pistons suffered a loss in their first game in Orlando–a game where they lead for all but one minute of the game. They would end up losing due to an officiating error which gave the Oklahoma City Thunder and extra free throw attempt to give the Thunder a one-point lead instead of tying the game. (Insert DETROIT VS EVERYBODY).
Here’s some highlights for you, via my twitter timeline:
some first quarter highlights.
Lorenzo Brown joins Kennard, Ellenson, and Jackson in double digit scoring for #Pistons.
— Braden Shackelford (@Shack_attack03) July 1, 2017
Kennard has connected on his last FOUR three-point attempts
— Braden Shackelford (@Shack_attack03) July 1, 2017
few takeaways for #Pistons Kennard, He has looked good defensively, ball handling is excellent, can legit play PG, knack for getting open
— Braden Shackelford (@Shack_attack03) July 1, 2017
WOW. What a one-one-one move by Kennard. After the transition 3, Kennard came back on the very next possession with a breakdown stepback 3
— Braden Shackelford (@Shack_attack03) July 1, 2017
You can see the video of the move I was referring to below:
After being compared to Dirk Nowitzki, Ellenso drew an interesting comparison to Luol Deng:
Ellenson draws the Luol Deng comparison after getting the dirk comparison pic.twitter.com/5BUt0Bljas
— Braden Shackelford (@Shack_attack03) July 1, 2017
My final thoughts:
If they continue to perform with this consistency, Henry Ellenson and Luke Kennard look ready to contribute next season for the Detroit Pistons. That’s not to confuse that they will get the opportunity, but merely a comment towards their readiness. I think both could be strong contributors in 15-20 minutes per game.
Next: Detroit Pistons may have hard cap dilemma
Lorenzo Brown and Pierre Jackson also looked good. Jackson in particular showed a competitive edge that I found impressive. Neither will get an opportunity to play for the Pistons, but they might somewhere else next season, unless the Pistons trade one of their top three point guards in Reggie Jackson, Ish Smith, or Langston Galloway.
Key contributors:
Henry Ellenson: 21 points, 7/17 (2/7 from three), 9 rebounds, 5/6 free throws.
Luke Kennard: 16 points, 6/14 (4/6 from three), 3 assists.
Pierre Jackson: 13 points, 4/9 (1/2 from three).