The Detroit Pistons’ rookies both put their defensive tools on display during the five-game Summer League series out in Las Vegas
During the 2026 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons set out to address multiple aspects of their roster back in late June. At the time, the team was in need of adding some self-creation ability after that relative weak point rose to prominence during the playoffs against the Orlando Magic and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Detroit was able to do just that by trading up in the first-round to select former Stanford point guard Ebuka Okorie.
Later in the draft, the Pistons were part of a somewhat surprising move to trade Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies for a series of second-round draft picks. But in retrospect, Stewart was a limited contributor from an offensive perspective and was unable to factor heavily in the postseason for the second straight year, so Detroit opted to shed his salary in the move in order to generate a bit more financial flexibility for the squad ahead of contract discussions with All-Star center Jalen Duren.
Later on day two of the draft, the Pistons pulled off another deal to obtain former Virginia center Ugonna Onyenso towards the end of the second-round, which could be seen as a low-cost effort to replace some of the defensive qualities and rim protection that made Stewart such a fan favorite in the Motor City over the last several years.
Of course, replacing Beef Stew is a task which is easier said than done, especially for a second-rounder who is still notably raw from a development standpoint, but Onyenso registered nearly three blocks per game last year as a collegiate Cavalier, so the potential does exist for Onyenso to turn into a similarly-imposing big man patrolling the paint in the NBA.
Both rookies recently had an opportunity to test their skills in the Summer League as their first work assignments with the Pistons, and the two players both flashed at different moments throughout the five-game stretch. Okorie showcased his ability to reach the paint and create looks at the rim seemingly whenever he wanted to, which meshed with his scouting report coming out of Stanford, but the 6-2 guard with a 6-7 wingspan also displayed some above-average defensive chops as well.
Against the Cavs’ Summer League unit, Okorie logged an eye-popping seven steals in the matchup. If teams hadn’t circled Okorie’s name as a potential perimeter stopper before that point in time, they certainly needed to afterwards given his pickpocketing prowess.
Onyenso, on the other hand, carried his reputation as a shot-swatter into the Las Vegas tournament, and he registered five blocks of his own against Cleveland along with eight rebounds to create a stellar defensive effort from the two Detroit rookies. On top of that, Onyenso also connected on one of his two triples during the Summer League, which reinforced his college coach’s claim that there’s an underlying perimeter element to his game as well.
Though the Summer League can sometimes be difficult in terms of grading prospects since they’re competing against fringe NBA players, both Okorie and Onyenso showed an element of defensive rigidity that the Pistons covet. Neither player was flawless in their five-game performance, but both proved that they can compete on the defensive end of the court, which is a non-negotiable quality in Detroit.
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