The Detroit Pistons were hoping to find rotation depth in the Summer League with players like Bobi Klintman or Daniss Jenkins and hope is still alive.
Jenkins has had a solid Summer League with a 6.5/1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio that should at least get him some looks as an emergency point guard next season. Jenkins isn’t going to start the season in the rotation, but he might be back and forth as a two-way contract when the Pistons need him.
Detroit could also use depth at power forward, where 2nd-year man Bobi Klintman hopes to be a factor.
He’s mostly been disappointing in the Summer League, as he’s missed a ton of shots, turned the ball over and hasn’t done much to quell the concerns that he lacks NBA athleticism.
That finally changed last night, and even though it is just a Summer League game, kept hope alive that there might be a rotation player in Klintman somewhere down the road.
Bobi Klintman leaves some Summer League hope for the Pistons
If you just look at Klintman’s counting stats for Summer League, they are not bad, as he has averaged 10.8 points per game, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists, the kind of all-around numbers that make him an appealing prospect.
He added 20 points last night, and most importantly hit 7-of-11 shots and 3-of-6 from downtown, finding the efficiency that had eluded him thus far.
His shooting numbers are up to 44 percent overall for the four games and 33 percent from long range, not great, but they look a lot better than they did heading into last night. His 3.5 turnovers per game are a bit concerning but when you consider the context, and that he’d never be handling the ball in the NBA, it’s not as troubling.
One decent Summer League game isn’t going to earn Klintman a roster spot, but it’s nice to see him hit some shots, which will be the way he makes the team if he ever does.
The Pistons have scant depth behind Tobias Harris and ideally would love Klintman as a low-cost option, something that will be key as the Pistons’ roster gets more expensive at the top, and they try to avoid the dreaded tax aprons.
Hitting on second-round picks will give teams a big advantage under the new CBA. It’s far too early to know if the Pistons did that, but Klintman has at least shown tantalizing flashes as a passer and scorer.
He’ll have at least one more game to prove himself against the Spurs in the consolation game this weekend.