Pistons Draft Size, Scoring Ability
Detroit takes Henry Ellenson of Marquette in first round, Syracuse’s Michael Gbinije in second.
The Detroit Pistons chose a big man with a soft touch in the NBA Draft Thursday. They chose Marquette University power forward Henry Ellenson with the 18th overall pick. The 19-year-old averaged 17 points and almost 10 rebounds per game as a freshman in his only season of college basketball. The team used its second round pick to draft Syracuse guard Michael Gbinije, who helped the Orange reach the Final Four of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. WDET’s Travis Wright tells Pat Batcheller Ellenson brings size and scoring ability to the Pistons.
“This is a big kid who can shoot the rock from far away, and that’s exactly what (Head Coach) Stan Van Gundy needs to make his whole system work,” Wright says.
Four local players were also drafted. The Chicago Bulls chose Michigan State star Denzel Valentine with the 14th overall pick. His Spartan teammate, Deyonta Davis, went to Boston in the second round. The Celtics then traded Davis’s rights to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Indiana Pacers drafted Michigan guard Caris LeVert with the 20th overall pick, then traded his rights to the Brooklyn Nets. The Atlanta Hawks drafted Oakland University scoring machine Kay Felder late in the second round, then sold his rights to the new NBA champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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