Summer League Preview: Detroit Pistons take on Reed Sheppard and the Houston Rockets

The summer Pistons, led by rookies Ron Holland II and Bobi Klintman, look to get their first win of the Las Vegas NBA 2K25 Summer League Monday against the Houston Rockets.

Detroit’s young guns lost their first game 94-81 against the Philadelphia 76ers’ summer squad, but both rookies showed flashes in their first exhibition. Holland put up 15 points, along with seven rebounds, two assists and three stocks (steals plus blocks). He showed effort on both ends of the floor, not giving up on plays and disrupting the opposition as a defender.

Holland took two 3-point attempts, but didn’t connect on either. The perimeter shot is the biggest question surrounding the 6-foot-8 wing who played with the G League Ignite program last year. An 0-for-2 performance from deep in his first Summer League game is nothing to panic over. His shooting form and base looked strong, giving the 19-year-old plenty to build from, especially with the support of new Pistons shooting coach Fred Vinson.

Klintman did see success from 3-point land against the Sixers, hitting 3-of-7 from deep. He made shots both off the bounce and the catch, even stepping into shots confidently and knocking them down. He finished with 13 points, five rebounds, five assists and a steal.

Bobi Klintman highlights from his 13 points on 50% FG (42% 3P) performance.

Really impressive first game, excited for game two. pic.twitter.com/w5at05pV7J

— Jack Kelly (@jack_kelly_313) July 14, 2024

It’s just one Summer League game, but Klintman showed every bit of his potential as a long-term project that can contribute to the Pistons potentially sooner than later. He can provide the coveted 3-and-D type role that each team looks for, knocking down shots and making an impact defensively with his 6-foot-9 frame.

There is still plenty of work to do, particularly when Klintman puts the ball on the floor, but shot creation doesn’t absolutely need to be a part of his game. He made a few great reads, which brought intrigue to his upside as a tertiary playmaker. The Pistons need more players who can dribble, pass and shoot, which their offseason transactions have mostly prioritized. Klintman showed he can do two of those three things right now and has plenty of time to work on the third.

Now, Klintman, Holland and the summer Pistons draw one of the most exciting Summer League rosters in the Rockets, led by third overall pick Reed Sheppard and second-year wing Cam Whitmore.

Sheppard has 45 points combined over his first two Summer League games, along with 12 total assists and 10 total stocks. Whitmore has seen similar success, he’s averaged 22.5 points, nine rebounds and three steals over the two games.

Sheppard and Holland are two of the top rookies in this year’s draft class, which brings the Pistons-Rockets Summer League showdown to a prime 6:30 p.m. ET time slot in the Thomas & Mack Center, which is the larger of the two UNLV gyms utilized for NBA Summer League action.

Pistons’ two-way guard Daniss Jenkins had some nice moments in the team’s first game against the Sixers. He scored 10 points, dished out five assists and added three steals and a block. The St. John’s product who played under Rick Pitino will likely spend the vast majority of his time in the G League with the Motor City Cruise this season. Through the two-way deal, he’ll spend a lot of time with the Pistons, too, where he can dress as part of the team’s active roster for up to 50 games. It’s unlikely that there are any minutes available for Jenkins with the Pistons, but he can continue to develop within the organization with hopes of breaking into the rotation eventually.

Second-year guard Marcus Sasser didn’t have a great performance for the Pistons to open up the Summer League schedule. He went 0-for-6 from the field and 0-for-4 from three, but added four assists and two steals. Of course, you want to see second-year guys dominate Summer League. Sasser will look to write his first game off and hope to see some shots fall.

Pistons big men Tolu Smith and Jayce Johnson looked solid against the Sixers. Smith, who signed as an undrafted free agent from Mississippi State, had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson gave the Sixers trouble in the second half. He finished the game with 11 points and six rebounds. He spent time with the Motor City Cruise last season, as well as Team USA when he was selected to play with the team for the 2024 FIBA AmeriCup Qualifying Window.

The Holland-Sheppard matchup is the headline for Pistons vs. Rockets at Thomas & Mack Center Monday. I’d hope that Holland gets the primary defensive assignment on Sheppard to see if he can slow his offensive bursts. If Holland isn’t guarding Sheppard, Whitmore is plenty to keep under control, too.