Detroit Pistons: 3 players entering a make-or-break season in 2018-19

3. Henry Ellenson

Henry Ellenson has been moving through this offseason and Summer League without much progress to show after two NBA seasons. He’s struggled for two years to develop into the stretch-big the team had envisioned him to be.

Casey was able to turn Serge Ibaka into a great threat from 3-point range, and he could possibly do the same with Ellenson. However, with Griffin and Jon Leuer ahead of him on the depth chart, minutes could be hard to come by.

Last season, Leuer was injured early on and only played eight games. Despite this, Ellenson never overtook Anthony Tolliver, who experienced a career renaissance. Instead, he toiled away on the bench.

The Pistons hold a team option on Ellenson for the 2019-20 season, but they may end up declining it based on his current trajectory. If Ellenson doesn’t take on a larger role this season, Casey could decide he wants to look elsewhere at the backup power forward spot.

Griffin is the starter, so it isn’t expected for Ellenson to overtake him, or Leuer, for that matter. However, he has to show an ability to knock down shots from anywhere at a higher clip. His career slash line of .362/.316/.784 leaves much to be desired.

If he’s able to improve on the offensive end, he can prolong the Pistons giving up on him for another year. However, if his recent performance in NBA Summer League was what can be expected, this could be his last year in the Motor City.