The Detroit Pistons have completed their Summer League and there is some excitement around their young players.
Summer League has to be taken with a grain of salt. On one hand, we get our first glimpse of the future. But on the other, most Summer League players will likely not play in an NBA game this year. Whether your newest additions go off, or struggle, it’s more about how they play rather than the statline that we are left with.
There are still plenty of questions to be asked and/or answered from Summer League. With that being said, we’ve watched each of Detroit’s five games, more than once I should add, and here is how our main young prospects fared in their first NBA action.
Ron Holland - 18.8 PPG, 2.3 APG, 6.5 RPG, 40.8% FG, 23.5 3PT%, 1.5 STL, 1.0 BLKS, 1.0 TOV
Holland acted as an initiator, which makes sense that’s how he played with ignite.
It’s no secret that the G-League Ignite was a disaster. Ron Holland never had a true point guard to play with, leading to scattered play styles and Ron initiating himself. Summer League saw Holland doing this once again on a roster without many creators and with the same mixed results.
Mixed bag when it comes to finishing at the rim
Throughout the first few games, Holland had multiple times in which he was stripped in the air. As the SL went on, his finishing skills improved, but he needs to put on weight and get stronger. His confidence getting to the basket was apparent, which is great. He just needs to firm up his finishing.
Inefficiencies are concerning
Holland has scored and looked electric so far, similar to Ausar Thompson last Summer League. Diving slightly deeper into his numbers, however, is cause for concern. While Holland averaged 18.8 points per game, he only shot 40 percent from the field, and 23 percent from three. He’s getting his buckets, but in an inefficient way. This was how he played in the G-League as well, but it will need to be addressed at the next level.
Grade: B-
Bobi Klintman - 11.2 PPG, 3.5 APG, 7.2 RPG, 42% FG, 41.9% 3PT, 1.0 STL, 0.6 BLKS, 2.2 TOV
Bobi Klintman has impressed in every way, truly looking like the steal of the draft
Bobi Klintman reportedly had a first round promise last year, before withdrawing and heading overseas. He’s played with first round talent so far and Detroit seems to have found a gem in the second round.
The shooting is there, but it’s the other skills that have truly impressed
It was known that Klintman was a sharp shooter when Detroit drafted him. That skill has followed him into the league, but so has other, less expected ones. Klintman's passing and defense has been excellent and has fans and coaches turning heads. One thing to note, however, is Klintman's overall shooting is just slightly better than his three point shooting, which isn't ideal.
Expectation was to spend most of the season within the G-League, but his play might force NBA minutes
Simply because of the roster and lack of minutes to go around, the understanding was that Bobi Klintman would spend most of his rookie year in the G-League. He would be brought along slowly and develop as the year goes on. Suddenly, his play seems to be at a higher level than originally thought and Trajan Langdon might need to find some minutes for the rookie at the NBA level.
Grade: A-
Other Summer League Notes
Marcus Sasser has struggled throughout Detroit’s five games.
Sasser is averaging 12.2 points, 5.2 assists, and is shooting 25 percent from three, but most concerning is how he has looked. As a second year player, you expect him to pick apart a roster full of rookies and/or borderline G-League guys, but that hasn’t been the case.
UDFA Daniss Jenkins had multiple impressive performances, pushing the Marcus Sasser questions.
Daniss averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 assists, and shot 33.3 percent from three point range. Daniss was a target for Detroit immediately after the draft completed, and it’s obvious why, even after going quiet for a few games. The question now is, has Jenkins done enough to usurp Marcus Sasser as backup point guard?
Many of the other young Pistons were courtside, watching as the their young core grows
Throughout the five Summer League games, seen courtside were Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson, among others. At the very least, players like Holland and Klintman are expected to contribute alongside the core players for years to come, so it’s vital our current players mesh well with them.