The Detroit Pistons' all-time best Summer League performances

Bobi Klintman and Daniss Jenkins have already had big Summer League performances for the Detroit Pistons that have drawn plenty of overrections.

We all know that Summer League is truly a knee-jerk reaction event. If your newest addition goes off in their first action, your GM is a genius. If they struggle, your rookie is already a bust. We’ve seen players score 30, and never crack an NBA rotation, and vice versa players finish with three points on 1-of-8 shooting, and go on to have legendary careers. Reality is that Summer League is more so about watching playing style than actual performances. 

While some of the top players in Summer League go on to have amazing careers, most are names that come and go and end on the fringes of an NBA roster. You only have to look at the Pistons recent Summer League rosters for examples.

So here are Detroit’s Summer League leaders from years past for a reminder that these numbers and performances should be taken lightly.

Detroit Pistons' top Summer League performers

Most Points Per Game: 

1. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 2014 - 24.0 ppg
2. Jalen Duren, 2023 - 20.0 ppg
3. Rodney Stuckey, 2007 - 19.0 ppg

Most Rebounds Per Game: 

1. Andre Drummond, 2013 - 14.8 rpg
2. Amir Johnson, 2007 - 12.0 rpg
3. Tolu Smith, 2024 - 11.0 rpg

Most Assists Per Game: 

1. Bruce Brown Jr., 2019 - 8.2 apg
2. Brandon Knight, 2012 - 7.2 apg
3. Jaden Ivey, 2023 - 7.0 apg

Top single-game performances in the Summer League

Points in a Game: 

1. Marcus Sasser, 2023 - 40 points
2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 2014 - 30 points
3. Henry Ellenson, 2017 - 29 points

Rebounds in a Game:

1. Andre Drummond, 2013 - 18 rebounds
2. Andre Drummond, 2013 - 16 rebounds
3. Luka Garza, 2021 - 15 rebounds

Assists in a Game:

1. Brandon Knight, 2012 - 14 assists
2. Bruce Brown Jr., 2019 - 10 assists
3. Jaden Ivey, 2023 - 10 assists

A few of these names are a blast from the past. Some went on to have great careers, others never truly were able to top their summer league performances. Keep that in mind as we go through Detroit's final few Summer League games.