Pistons' Henry Ellenson: May not be rotation player as a rookie

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said that Ellenson may not be a member of the team's rotation to begin the 2016-17 season, MLive.com's David Mayo reports. "I think he's a guy that has a chance to get on the floor [as a rookie]," Van Gundy said. "Now is he a guy in your top eight? I don't know. It's too early. We'll start the process with him and see how it goes. I think we'll be in a position where he's good enough to maybe get on the floor but we're in a position that he doesn't have to. We're not going to rush him. If he needs more time, that's fine."

Analysis:

The Pistons were ecstatic to grab Ellenson at No. 18 overall in last Thursday's draft, after Van Gundy said the power forward had been rated 10th on the team's draft board. Though the Pistons are optimistic about Ellenson's long-term potential, the fact that the Marquette product struggled with his three-point shot and showed defensive limitations as a freshman indicates that he might not be ready to contribute in the NBA right away. Moreover, the presence of Andre Drummond, Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris in the frontcourt means that Ellenson won't be asked to play big minutes if his play doesn't warrant it.