How will Ellenson impact Detroit Pistons in rookie year?

Weaknesses

While a good shooter for a seven footer–at 19 years old no less–Ellenson shot just 28.9% (30-104) from three. That’s an area he will have to be more proficient at to really open up lanes for his driving ability.

Not only does Ellenson have room to grow offensively, but he’s also known to have some break downs on the defensive side of the ball.

The good news is that his breakdowns seem to be more awareness issues than ability issues. That said, he’s not an exceptional athlete by any measure and his lack lateral quickness could hurt him when guarding on the perimeter.

Some worry about his explosiveness too, but his length and size more than makes up for his lack of exposition–he’ll still be able to rebound effectively as long as his technique remains sound and he’ll still be able to get shots off as long as he uses his body and dribbling ability.

While Ellenson is a down to earth dude and a mature player overall, he did have a tendency to take too many jumpers. That, along with some risky passes lead him to have more turnovers (2.4) than assists (1.8) per game.

The skills are there for Ellenson, they just need to be refined.

Next: Rookie Impact