Pistons Summer League: How Luka Garza can earn his roster spot
Detroit Pistons: Luka Garza showed promise in his Summer League debut
Now is not the time to overreact to Summer League performances, especially when the sample size is just a single game. The Summer League is not a place to judge the entire outlook of a player’s career. The league is simply a means of allowing prospects to show what they can do and develop.
In his chance to show what he could do, Garza did just that. The 22-year-old played in 13 minutes in his first taste of Summer League action and he made the most of it. Garza went three for five from the field and knocked down two of his four free-throw attempts. The big man finished the game with nine points and four rebounds, all of which came as offensive boards.
Garza only managed to drop one of his three shots from beyond the arc. The one he did make came from the top of the key on a pick-and-pop with Saben Lee. Garza’s stroke was fluid and clean. His form on his two missed threes also looked good, but the big man was simply unable to get them to drop.
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The 22-year-old also looked quicker than he did in college. Garza reportedly lost 30 pounds over the offseason and brought his playing weight down to 246 pounds. That weight loss appears to have done the big man a service as he does look slightly quicker. While his lateral quickness will still be a point of concern for Garza, his efforts to counteract his limitations will still make a difference, even if just marginal.
Garza was simply a high-energy guy for Detroit in their first summer league game. The 22-year-old came off the bench and played hard for the Pistons. He held his own in the post on the defensive end. Against smaller guards, he was not completely outmatched, although he mostly met them in the paint where his lateral quickness would not be as much of a liability.
On offense, the big man moved well to find open looks at the basket, and he also attacked the boards well.
Garza has put in a lot of work this offseason. From serious weight loss to consistent development of his three-point shot, the big man has put the effort into making Detroit’s roster this fall. Unfortunately for Garza, his efforts will most likely not result in a permanent spot on Detroit’s NBA roster. Fortunately for the young center, he will get plenty of opportunities with the Pistons on a two-way contract.