PistonPowered
Fansided

Upside and Motor prescribes patience for Henry Ellenson

By David Hoffman

facebooktwitterreddit

 Henry Ellenson could be a perfect fit for the Detroit Pistons roster down the road. He first must develop his jump shot and defensive fundamentals.

Trevor Magnotti over at Upside Motor laid out the ideal development plan for Detroit Pistons rookie Henry Ellenson. The key theme being patience, Magnotti details a strong argument on why the Pistons should take their time in developing the 18th pick in this year’s draft.

In his own words:

"“Ellenson is much more theory than substance at this point. Despite a lofty recruiting ranking and plenty of physical tools, the versatile forward struggled to fully capitalize on his potential in his lone year at Marquette. He proved to be a very solid rebounder, posting a 24.2 percent defensive rebound rate, and he showed potential as a shot-blocker (1.8 blocks/40 minutes). However, his highly touted shooting never materialized in college.”"

The Pistons drafted Ellenson with the hope that he could become the perfect stretch-four in Stan Van Gundy’s four-out scheme. This makes the development of Ellenson’s jump shot an absolute priority.

More from Pistons News

This is where the patience comes in. In summer league, Ellenson only managed to shoot 31 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from long range. But according to Magnotti, the potential is there.

"“What stands out immediately with Ellenson is his shooting form being quick, efficient, and consistent. This has been a constant theme for Ellenson throughout the last year — his shots may not go in, but they look good coming out of his hands, and that should translate to more shots going in as he continues to develop consistency. Not many sub-30 percent shooters have the form that Ellenson does, which may explain his poor shooting last season as an anomaly.”"

With the fundamentals in place as a solid foundation, the Pistons hope that Ellenson can bring up his shooting percentages. Becoming a knockdown shooter would make him a lethal front court partner for Andre Drummond.

More from PistonPowered

Ellenson’s defensive ability is also noted as a concern, and Magnotti maintains that it might be as long as two or three years before he is truly ready for significant playing time.

Despite certain areas that are in need of development, Ellenson remains an enticing prospect. His rebounding grades out as a positive and he displays the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket, as he shows here.

With a solid infrastructure in place and no immediate need at the position, Pistons fans should be optimistic. Seeing as Tobias Harris and Jon Leuer are on the roster, there is plenty of time for patience.

Next: Which Piston Starter Will Make Biggest Leap?

Encouragingly, Ellenson himself seems ready to put in the work.

Home/Pistons News