Detroit Pistons: How Can Jonas Jerebko Help Next Season?
By Adam McGee
Opportunity
Having just mentioned opportunity, let’s return to it immediately. Since his sophomore season in the NBA, Jerebko has had little opportunity to develop his game in live game situations. When you look at both Jerebko’s skills and his physical assets, there’s no reason to see why he can’t still take a big jump forward in productivity at the age of 27.
As I’ve mentioned, at 6″10 he’s no shrinking violet, and even though many power forwards may have a weight advantage over him, that’s not necessarily something that should hold Jerebko back. His effort, quickness and long active arms, mean he has the potential to develop into a good defender, something which it seems has never truly been a point of emphasis for any coach during his time in the Motor City.
Although, he may be better suit to pulling back towards the perimeter, when Jerebko does find himself in the paint, he shouldn’t be afraid to drop off passes to the big men around him. If Jerebko could develop and hone his interior passing, it would make his offensive game a lot more dynamic, and remove anything that’s even vaguely predictable.
If Stan Van Gundy and his coaching staff invest time in Jerebko, both on and off the court, there’s no reason why he can’t become a top class role player for them.