Pistons select Marquette forward Henry Ellenson in first

“It’s exactly what everybody said; he’s got great offensive instincts and great skills, can play with either hand and shoot the ball and put it on the floor and make some passes”, Van Gundy said.

He won’t play point guard for the Pistons, but he’ll have an opportunity to show his other skills, beginning next week when the Pistons start practice for their summer league team in Orlando.

“It’s truly an honor to be associated with the Detroit pistons”, he said. Van Gundy says it’s been quiet on that front. Pistons assistant coach Bob Beyer will have the reins and will begin the work to help get Ellenson – and second-round pick Michael Gbinije – ready.

“What he can do as a big – putting the ball on the deck, making a play off the dribble, passing the ball, making plays for teammates and playing with a high basketball IQ – I think it’s a very unique thing”. They also had undrafted Yogi Ferrell as a first-round pick, next after Gbinije according to Van Gundy, and the former IN point guard went undrafted.

The undrafted: Van Gundy said the Pistons’ big board had Gbinije as a first-round pick and they got him at No. 49. And that’s the guiding force shaping the team’s free-agent blueprint. “He was No. 10 on our draft board, so you are always going to be thrilled when you get your tenth-ranked guy at No. 18”.

“He’s just a guard, and I think the National Basketball Association is moving more toward positionless players and just skill sets, ” Wright said. Forward-centers Jordan Bachynski (Arizona State) and Kaleb Tarczewski (Arizona) also are expected on the roster. He was a guy we had as basically no chance to get to 18 so we didn’t bring him in here for a workout, ” said Van Gundy, head coach and president of basketball operations.

The Marquette big man is heading to Detroit.

“I went in (to Marquette) and I couldn’t do a pullup and now I can do eight”, said Ellenson, who was recently measured at 6 feet, 111/2 inches in shoes and 242 pounds. I wouldn’t be comfortable going with fewer than five. Van Gundy wants more ways to play and Cleveland power forward Kevin Love’s inside-outside performance against Detroit in postseason was eye-opening. “But it’s still part of the evening in case it happens”, said GM Jeff Bower. “So I think I can be a guy who adds a whole ‘nother side of versatility there, being able to make plays in the four spot”.

Ellenson is a flawless fit for a Van Gundy system – he’s a seven-footer with a jump shot who can play stretch 4 alongside Andre Drummond, or spend time at center with a rudimentary post and mid-range game. “Everybody thought he was going to go higher so you can’t get those guys in that go higher”.

Numbers game: Gbinije will wear jersey number 9, and Ellenson 8.