The Pistons are a young team buzzing with excitement about the growth of many players. Some of these guys have entered national conversations with their potential and excellent play last season, especially in the playoffs against the Knicks. But a young Piston who has flown under the radar may also make a big splash this season and fill an important role - Bobi Klintman.
Isaiah Stewart is excited about Klintman’s progression
When Isaiah Stewart was asked which teammates’ improvements he was most excited to see on the court, he immediately responded with Ron Holland II (no surprise, just watch his Summer League performances and Bobi Klintman. Both are entering their second season, but Holland had a much more prominent role on the team last season.
Positionally, Klintman has the opportunity to play a huge role for the Pistons this season. He is naturally fit to play power forward, and the Pistons are lacking a proven backup for the aging Tobias Harris. Klintman’s emergence as a solid NBA contributor would clear up one of the Pistons’ biggest questions about the current team and future core.
Fans were hoping for Klintman to have a big Summer League showing like Holland did, but he did not dominate in the same fashion. Overall, he averaged 9 points and 7 rebounds across five Summer League games while shooting just 40 percent from the field and 29 percent from three. More importantly, the eye test also revealed that he struggled to create separation against the defenders there, who are of a lesser quality than what he would face in the NBA proper.
However, Klintman is still extremely young at 22 years of age, and a lot can change in the three months between Summer League and the start of the regular season. Klintman had an injury-riddled rookie campaign that was mostly spent in the G-League, so improved health can lead to good results on the court.
Getting any meaningful minutes from Klintman would be huge for the Pistons. It can give Harris more of a breather at times and keep him fresh in his 15th NBA season. There are also specific matchups against double-big lineups, which are becoming increasingly common in the Eastern Conference, where the Pistons would prefer to have another big body on the court with their center rather than slot in Holland or Ausar Thompson as the power forward.
A jump from Bobi Klintman is the type of unexpected extra depth which could elevate the Pistons into another tier as a team. It can help put the team in a position to make a deep playoff run now, rather than waiting for Klintman to develop or figure out other options for a backup power forward.