Auburn Hills — During the years of futility the past decade, the Pistons had a series of lottery picks who were fixtures in the starting lineup.
From Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Stanley Johnson, all the first-round picks from 2010-15 were top-10 selections and saw significant playing time early.
Last season, the Pistons reached the playoffs, and their first-round pick, Henry Ellenson, was a different case. Projected as a top-10 pick, he dropped to No. 18. And, Stan Van Gundy didn’t mind getting premium value at No. 18.
But by adding power forward Jon Leuer in free agency, Van Gundy is able to allow Ellenson to develop without having to use him too early.