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Henry Ellenson bounces back, finishes with double-double

By Brenden Welper

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Henry Ellenson #8 of the Detroit Pistons handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 9, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Henry Ellenson #8 of the Detroit Pistons handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 9, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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After two disappointing performances, Henry Ellenson responded with a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double in Monday’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

If anybody was due for a breakout game, it was Henry Ellenson.

And boy did he deliver.

Ellenson finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists in the Pistons’ 105-97 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday afternoon. The power forward displayed considerable poise handling the ball in transition.

After a defensive rebound, Ellenson went coast-to-coast for several easy buckets. Not a single Pelican elected to pick him up at half court. When New Orleans finally decided to clamp down, he responded by facilitating on the break.

Ellenson’s sense of urgency was lacking in the first two games. He often dribbled into traffic, and was slow getting to his spot on the floor. But Monday was different.

Ellenson sought to involve his teammates, however he could. That’s apparent from his six turnovers. Those aren’t ideal, but hey, its Summer League. Now is the time to those make mistakes.

He was far from perfect. I want to make that very clear.

Ellenson went just 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. However, this was a much improved showing for the third-year forward. His field-goal attempts came off of better movement and spacing this time around. The shots just wouldn’t fall.

Defense remains a problem for him, although it was better against New Orleans. He came away with two steals in the game.

Ellenson often gets exposed when guarding the pick-and-roll. That still happened, but his rotations weren’t as bad. Again, Summer League is where you want these mistakes to happen. They serve as a learning experience.

This is the same guy who has played a total of 57 games in two seasons as a pro. His development will take some time. That’s just the reality when a young player is shelved away.

Next: Pistons strong start carries them past New Orleans

But for now, any in-game action is valuable for the former first-round pick. Let’s see how Ellenson follows this up come tournament play.

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