AUBURN HILLS – Most of Henry Ellenson’s teammates and nearly all credentialed reporters had departed the Pistons locker room when Aaron Gray walked past him on his way out of Little Caesars Arena after Thursday’s win over Washington.
“No TV cameras, Henry?” the Pistons assistant coach jabbed at the team’s youngest player. Nope, the TV guys had already gone, too.
Another assistant, Otis Smith, strolled by a minute later.
“Still here, Henry?”
“Yeah. I don’t usually have to get ice,” Ellenson grinned.
The folks who drafted Ellenson and those who coach him every day love everything about the Pistons youngest player – his potential, his work ethic, the way he’s kept his head on straight and his heart in the right place through a season that’s provided precious little opportunity for playing time. Coaches always root for their guys to do well because doing well benefits everyone. But there’s a palpable and genuine affection for Ellenson from the staff and his teammates and an appreciation for the way he’s rooted for everyone else’s successes.
“No question,” Stan Van Gundy said after Friday’s practice. “Anybody who is a great teammate – if you watch our films, you’ll notice it. He’s up on every good play. Never lets his disappointment in lack of playing time affect his support for his teammates. Then they see how hard he works every day. Everybody knows he deserves to have success, so really happy when he has it.”
Ellenson had nine points and five rebounds in 16 minutes backing up Anthony Tolliver in Thursday’s win. With Blake Griffin to miss at least the next three games with a bone bruise of the right ankle, Ellenson will get his most extended minutes since the season’s opening games.
Smith, Gray and Charles Klask are the three assistants on Stan Van Gundy’s staff who spend the most time working with Ellenson, who keeps the assistants busier than any player because he’s relentless in putting in extra work. Smith works him out after virtually every practice and game-day shootaround and – even after Thursday’s minutes and success – they were back at it, business as usual, after Friday’s practice.
“Got to stay with the work,” Ellenson said. “That’s what got me there.”
When associate head coach Bob Beyer went through the video review of Thursday’s win in front of the team, he made a point to credit Ellenson’s readiness despite the extended bouts of inactivity he faced. Van Gundy hasn’t seen Ellenson mope for even a day this season.
“Bob took ’em through the film today and made the point about to be 21 and be that professional – to stay ready and not play, stay in shape, the whole thing. Really commendable for anybody, but for a guy that young who’s had to deal with the disappointment of not playing, he just continues to work at it. It’s good that he gets a chance here to play while it still counts.”
Van Gundy raved about Ellenson’s scoring ability in his rookie training camp but knew – and stated it publicly – that he wasn’t yet ready to play, needing to add significant strength, especially in the lower body to be able to hold his position and get in a defensive stance and keep his feet moving. This season, after a diligent summer in the weight room and on the court, Van Gundy declared Ellenson ready to play.
But Tobias Harris was the starter and Tolliver proved too reliable a defender and too consistent a 3-point shooter to supplant in the rotation. And then came the trade for Griffin. It’s the deepest position on the roster by a degree of magnitude. But Ellenson has time on his side and a commitment to maximizing every ounce of his potential. He put his progress on display against Washington, holding his own in the paint at both ends.
“He did a good job defensively,” Van Gundy said. “It’s something that he’s worked at. I think he knows going forward that doing everything he can with his body and getting better on the defensive end are his tickets to playing time and he’s worked hard at it. Every day in practice, he’s good. Have not seen a day with him in two years where he was just sort of going through the motions. Works every day. His time will come.”
Ellenson is a self-confessed gym rat whose ambitions don’t run much beyond fulfilling his sportsball dreams, but he doesn’t have to look far for encouraging examples if ever he has a moment of doubt.
“Can’t just be focused on the now. That’s how it’s been for me this year,” he said. “I’m not taking it as a waste. I’m trying to make the most of it, keep getting better. Reggie Bullock, he’s playing lights out. He’s having a really good year and I’m really happy for him because I was sitting next to him last year. I was sitting next to him at the beginning of the year and now he’s lighting it up. I know my time is coming, so I’m just going to keep working.”