Detroit Pistons: Henry Ellenson season in review and grade

We didn’t get a good look at what Henry Ellenson can offer until the Detroit Pistons season was lost, which is a decision Stan Van Gundy may come to regret.

Henry Ellenson was widely considered to be a steal when he fell to the Detroit Pistons in the 18th spot in last season’s NBA draft. He’s certainly raw, having turned 20 years old in January, and a project, so the bulk of his playing time was with the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA D-League.

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Ellenson acquitted himself well against D-League competition, averaging 17.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, but his shooting numbers left much to be desired. He shot just 41.6 percent from the floor and 32.8 percent from three-point range, numbers which were fairly in line with his college production. In his single season at Marquette, he hit 44.6 percent from the floor and a meager 28.8 percent from long range.

While his youth is a mark in his favor, there’s concern that if his shooting ability doesn’t develop, he may be a project that simply doesn’t go anywhere. He’ll need to add strength in the offseason as right now he is going to be abused by veteran NBA big men.

Ellenson finally got some burn in the last four games of the season as the Detroit Pistons threw in the towel on a lost season, and he showed some signs that there might be an NBA player in there after all. Once again, the shooting is a concern, but he averaged 9.8 points and 7.3 assists per game in 22 minutes per appearance.

Ellenson might not yet be a plus on the floor, but perhaps he’s not as big a negative as once feared. It’s important to temper optimism with caution, however. Pistons fans see him as a big piece of the future for this team, and he’s a long way from being a rotational player at this point, let alone a foundational part of any NBA team.

Grade: Incomplete

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