The Detroit Pistons’ Summer League schedule tips off tonight at midnight (technically tomorrow) and there will be plenty to watch.
There will be familiar faces like Cade Cunningham (will he play?), Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Isaiah Livers, Killian Hayes and Saben Lee, but there will also be a host of lesser known guys trying to impress and earn a spot on the roster.
I don’t think we’ll see much of Cade, Bey and Beef Stew, but with the depth chart still up in the air, everyone else will be trying to show out for their current teams, as well as any others that may want to sign them.
Do any of the under-the-radar guys have a chance to make the roster? Here are five players to watch.
Detroit Pistons: 5 players to watch in Summer League
The Guard
Kameron McGusty: Guard, Miami
McGusty is already 24-years-old after red-shirting one year in college, transferring from Oklahoma to Miami and playing five years in the NCAA.
He averaged 17.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his super senior season while shooting a respectable 35.5 percent from long range on 4.6 attempts per game. He also shot over 81 percent from the line, so there is hope that his shot will improve.
He’s a long, and athletic guard at 6-foot-5 who can make plays and be a disruptive defender in the passing lane. The guy can get buckets but he’s very streaky and a bit too old to be considered an elite prospect.
He’s one of those guys who could dominate Summer League, as he’s older and will be trying to show out for prospective jobs. I’m cheering for him, as his name has huge nickname potential.
Detroit Pistons: 5 players to watch in Summer League
The Shooters
It’s no secret that the Detroit Pistons need shooting after being near the bottom of the league in nearly every offensive category last season. They particularly need guys who can hit the 3-ball and are taking flyers on players who were elite in that category.
The Boeheims
The Pistons have inked Buddy Boeheim to a two-way deal and also invited brother Jimmy to their Summer League roster, hoping that one of them sticks. Buddy is a high-volume three-point shooting guard who can’t do much else and brother Jimmy is basically the forward version.
Troy Weaver (who was once an assistant coach at Syracuse) is well-familiar with both of them and is hoping their shooting can translate to the next level a la Duncan Robinson, the un-drafted shooter with one elite skill.
Kyle Foster: Guard, Howard
Speaking of elite shooting, Kyle Foster out of Howard led the entire country in 3-point shooting last season, hitting an impressive 46 percent on 7.9 attempts per game.
He’s got good size at 6-foot-4 but is already 25-years-old, so is a long shot to make an NBA roster. There are obviously big question marks around a guy who didn’t even start every game for a mid-major as a 5th-year senior, but he can absolutely stroke the 3-ball, as you can see in these highlights.
But can he do anything else? Is he too skinny to defend?
Foster will be trying to shoot his way onto a roster and I am looking forward to him letting it fly, as he has never played with guys this skilled and may be one of those players who thrives as a shooter once he has guards who can get him the ball in his spots.
Detroit Pistons: 5 players to watch in Summer League
The Big Man
Balsa Koprivica: Center, Partizan NIS
Koprivica is the 7-foot-1 center that the Detroit Pistons drafted last season and stashed in the Serbian league.
He hasn’t put up huge numbers, though has flashed some impressive rim protection so far as a professional, averaging a block in just 13 minutes per game.
His team is actually good, which is why he doesn’t get a lot of run, but he profiles as a guy who will block shots and grab offensive rebounds, two things the Pistons could use.
Detroit already has a glut of guys who can play the center position after drafting Jalen Duren and trading for Nerlens Noel, so Koprivica is a long shot to make the team, but the Pistons still own his draft rights and can send him back to Serbia for another year of seasoning.
He is still only 22-years-old, so it’s possible he has a future as a third center and rim protector at some point in the future.