Eric Moreland had never played more than eight games in a season when he signed with the Detroit Pistons. They added him, uncertain of whether or not he could fit in the NBA. But Detroit finished the season knowing it had a solid backup center capable of playing good basketball.
Eric by the Numbers:
Eric Moreland had his first season playing more than eight games in his career. He managed to play 67 games this season, averaging 12 minutes in each contest. In those 12 minutes, Eric Moreland posted 2.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 54.1 percent from the field, and only 37.9 percent from the free-throw line. Eric’s per 36 numbers were 6.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.
Moreland finished the season with an offensive rating of 100.2 and a defensive rating of 99.7, giving him a net rating of +0.6 overall. Eric also managed a defensive rebound percentage of 28.5, offensive rebounding percentage of 11.2, and a total rebound percentage of 19.8. This put Eric Moreland 44th in the league in offensive rebound percentage, 26th in the league for defensive rebounding percentage, and 20th in the league for total rebound percentage. He was ahead of players like Tyson Chandler, Tristan Thompson, Rudy Gobert, Marc Gasol, Dewayne Dedmon, and Nikola Vucevic.
Eric by the Eye:
Eric Moreland is the type of player that teammates love, and coaches must love to coach. He leaves it all out on the floor and visibly plays his absolute heart out. He is always hustling and full of effort, which is exactly what you want from your backup. He is an excellent and active rebounder, along with being a good defender. He is not a player who you can rely on to get a bucket, but he can finish and in the Pistons’ final game of the season he notched a career-high 16 points along with 17 rebounds, four steals, and four blocks.
Eric Moreland’s Season Grade:
B+ – Eric Moreland exceeded all expectations for him and was a good backup center for the Pistons. For that reason, he’ll receive a high grade. He served his role, and played solid defense and rebounded the ball well. The only area of improvement for Eric, is his free throw percentage and getting some confidence in going up for offensive rebounds.