PISTONS SUMMER UPDATE

I was browsing the internet the other day and decided to check up on the how the Pistons summer league is going. These games don't feature any of the starters, it's mainly for the young players and guys that were just recently drafted so they can stay fresh with some playing time they wouldn't receive during the regular season and to introduce the new guys to the team's philosophy. The summer season only lasts about give games, but I've learned alot about the players from watching them on the internet.
Here's an analysis of how some of them are doing:

Trent Plaisted - I've heard alot of analysts compare him to Ben Wallace, which I admit, I don't really get the comparison. He does seem to have alot of energy and gets alot of rebounds BUT he's white, his hair is not quite as awesome (let's face it, it's not cool at all), and he's not as athletic. Ben Wallace truly was one of a kind. He'll be playing in Europe for a few seasons because there's no roster space for him.

Deron Washington - Ok, so this guy may never get a chance to play in the NBA, but man, this kid can fly. Literally. He's got crazy hops, no shot, crazy hops, average handles, crazy hops, too short for a Small Forward, crazy hops, and he can jump. That's about it. I would be in favor of signing him just because he is really entertaining. Here's a youtube mix for proof. My favorite part is when he jumps OVER Greg Paulus (douche) for a layup. Crazy.


Cheikh Samb - He's a very interesting prospect. He has size (7'1") but not big enough (less than 200 lbs.). He has a lot of potential, but needs to fill out quite a bit. He blocks alot of shots, mainly because of his huge wingspan, and it helps negate the fact that he is easily pushed around underneath the basket because he can still alter shots. He has a real nice jumper for a man his size, almost out to 3 point range. He defends the pick-and-roll really well too. I think he can develop into a solid contributor at the NBA level.

Amir Johnson - Pistons fans have been waiting for this guy to get consistent minutes ever since he was drafted out of high school. He oozes with potential and has been improving each and every year. He's freakishly long, which enables him to block an insane amount of shots. However, sometimes he falls in love with his shot-blocking ability and it prevents him from playing solid low post defense. He gets called for a lot of fouls because of this. Luckily there's a personal foul limit of 10 in the summer league, so he doesn't really have to worry about. Although he has reached the 9 foul mark twice. I wasn't overly impressed with his offensive skill set either. There were times he just seemed to throw the ball at the basket, using his athleticism to get the shot over defenders., instead of making a good move for a layup. It works for him now, but won't against NBA level defenders. He's also made some really poor decisions with the ball in his hands, leading to turnovers and points for the other team. It may seem like I'm being really harsh on Amir, but it's only because he has the most potential out of anybody on this list, and I'm just pointing out what he needs to improve. He's got alot of great qualities to his game though. As I already pointed out, he's a great shot blocker, but he also runs the floor better than most big men. He gets out in transition pretty quick and it leads to easy baskets. He also took on a leadership role for this team with it being his fourth year in the summer league. He's only 21 and still has time to improve, and I think he'll get there eventually.

Will Bynum - He has signed a contract with the teams, so he will definitely be on the roster. He has really good hops for a guy his size and is tenacious at getting to the basket. He still needs to develop a jump shot, but I don't think it will ever be that good. He can be a Lindsey Hunter type player - a pesky defender who can score in spurts. He won't be getting any significant minutes this year, and what little playing time he receives will ultimately depend on whether Lindsey retires or not.

Walter Sharpe - Every Pistons fan was skeptical when Joe Dumars drafted this guy with the 32nd pick in this years' draft, and I was part of that group. But after watching him play this summer, I'm in awe. He can do it all. He played a little point guard for the team this summer, which is not his position, and I was astounded by his ball handling skills. I watched video of him while he was in college, and it only showed him posting up. He has really good post movies, but I though that Joe had drafted a guy that could only score down low and not shoot. Oh how wrong I was. He can let it fly. I was really impressed by his shooting ability. His shot is smooth and his range extends beyond the three point line. He can drive to the basket and get his shot off in traffic. Down low he has a sick turn around jumper. Obviously he was very impressive. The only thing he needs to work on is his defense, which is decent but not that great. I'm expecting him to be Tayshaun's primary backup this year and if he's going to do that, he'll have to improve his defense because he'll be matched up against players like Paul Pierce, LeBron, Tracy McGrady etc. Drafting this guy in the second round could be a steal for the Pistons, he's a true sleeper prospect both literally - he's been diagnosed with narcolepsy - and figuratively - meaning he wasn't highly rated coming out of the draft. I'll be expecting big things from Mr. Sharpe down the road.

Arron Afflalo - He was the MVP of the summer team, at least IMO. He was the best defender every time he stepped out on the floor. He can guard any point guard or shooting guard in the league - not just the summer league, I'm talking the NBA. But we all knew about his defense, what made him great this summer was the offensive skill set he showed in games. He got to the basket and made his shots or got to the foul line - something the Pistons really need to do better as a team. He consistently knocked down jumpers which made him a very difficult player to defend. He played great every game and was a leader for the team on the floor, which was important because Rodney Stuckey could not play as a result of an injured big toe that he suffered the first game. Afflalo's minutes are really going to increase this upcoming season.

And just a side note, the reffing in the summer league is just as brilliant as the reffing during the regular season. Translation - awful.