The Las Vegas Summer League is in full swing, with the Detroit Pistons having played two games, one against Philadelphia and another vs. Cleveland. They split these games, but it was more about how the Pistons' prospects looked than the score.
Most of the attention has been given to Ebuka Okorie, who had two decent performances. Detroit's first-round pick has shown encouraging flashes of high-level ballhandling and playmaking, giving fans some optimism for his ceiling.
However, he is not the only young Piston worth keeping an eye on in the Summer League. Detroit also selected Ugonna Onyenso with the 53rd-overall pick and signed him to a two-way contract. He started both games and averaged a little over 20 minutes in these games.
No one expects a late second-round pick to dominate the Summer League and be an impactful player right away as a rookie. But the Pistons hope that the 21-year-old center looks like he can be a solid backup in a year or two.
So far, the results have been a mixed bag.
Ugonna Onyenso's defense is encouraging, but offense leaves plenty to be desired
The encouraging part of Onyenso's game is that he has been excellent at the thing he is supposed to be good at. His calling card was advertised as rim protection and shot blocking. He has certainly done that so far, putting up five blocks against Cleveland on Sunday night. He has made his presence felt on the interior, deterring shots around the basket.
Similarly, he has been effective on the boards, averaging six rebounds in 20.4 minutes per game. He looks big and strong out there, and with NBA training, Onyenso could physically dominate.
The problem is everything else in his game. Onyenso is as raw a prospect as any soon-to-be 22-year-old. He struggles catching the ball, making it difficult for him to be involved in the offense. He is a complete non-threat as a dribbler, passer, and scorer. Trying to score when running any sort of two-man action with Onyenso is a challenge.
Onyenso had four turnovers in 21 minutes of action against the Cavs. For a player who has such a low usage rate, this is an unacceptable number. There is only so much you can do on the defensive side of the ball to justify this type of offensive output.
One encouraging thing was the three-point shot he made. He had shown a willingness to take open threes at Virginia, and it's a good sign that he isn't scared to take them. One way he can get himself on the court is if he can space the floor for the Pistons. He needs to be taking and making even more threes for that to be the case.
After trading Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons may have some playing time available at center. Jalen Duren (assuming he comes back) and Paul Reed will play the lion's share of minutes at center. In fact, they could also play some minutes together in two-big lineups. Tolu Smith is the only other traditional center ahead of Onyenso in the depth chart. If any injuries hit, Onyenso will be in line to see the court.
As things stand now, he doesn't seem ready to contribute at the NBA level. His physical and athletic tools are enough to have some hope for the future, but the Pistons may have to be patient with their rookie center.
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