After employing a string of superlatives to describe Michael Gbinije’s NBA debut, Stan Van Gundy tapped the brakes with an almost obligatory “it’s one game” disclaimer.
But it was a game Van Gundy saw coming for the last week and a half, too.
On Oct. 6 before the Pistons opened the preseason at Brooklyn, Van Gundy said this: “I’ve been really happy with him the last couple of days, particularly at the defensive end. He’s picked stuff up. The first couple of days, I thought he was struggling with rotations and stuff. But now he’s not and he’s picking things up quickly.”
Last Tuesday, Van Gundy was still seeing good things: “Probably over the last week, he’s been in practice the best player of all of the wings. He had been a guy – second-round pick, rookie – you’re waiting for him to develop and take his time, but he keeps coming out here every day and playing well. We need to get him in a game and take a look.”
On Friday, after not playing him in the previous night’s win over Atlanta and insisting that would change the next night in Philadelphia, Van Gundy said: “Took some time to get up and running, learning some things, but, man, he’s been good lately. He’s got a great ability to concentrate and to see plays coming. He’s a guy who pays attention to what’s going on. I’ve liked him a lot.”
Then came his Saturday night debut and Gbinije put into evidence everything Van Gundy had seen over the past 10 days or so. He scored 11 points, hitting 3 of 4 triples and both of his free throws. He blocked two shots and picked up three rebounds. He somehow wasn’t credited with an assist despite a pass Van Gundy praised later – passing up an open triple after making three of them already – that resulted in a Darrun Hilliard 3-pointer.
And suddenly a wing rotation situation that was among the few question marks coming into camp became a little more muddled. With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shooting 12.5 percent from the 3-point line over four preseason games and Stanley Johnson yet to have seized the broader role expected of him, Gbinije’s steadiness and 3-point potential have put him squarely in the mix with Hilliard and Reggie Bullock to squeeze his way into the mix.
“I just wanted to come in and compete as soon as I put on any type of Pistons gear,” he said after his debut. “I’m always team first. At the same time, I want to compete and if an opportunity comes, I want to take advantage of it.”
It appears that opportunity is at hand. Van Gundy said it was “absolutely conceivable” that Gbinije could crack the rotation.
“I think at times our other wing guys are getting caught up in that so-called competition for playing time and they’re forcing a lot of plays and not making it work for the team,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve got to find the guys who make it work. It’s not about reputation and it’s not about who’s putting points on the board. It’s not about who can win a one-on-one battle. It’s who can help our team play well.”
Johnson remains the favorite after a successful rookie season as sixth man at 19 years old. He’s bigger and stronger with high-end defensive potential and a diverse offensive game. Van Gundy has questioned his decisions in preseason and he hasn’t yet shown an improved shooting touch. Bullock is the best perimeter shooter of the bunch and Hilliard the best playmaker off the dribble.
But Gbinije – at least what the Pistons have seen to date – combines Bullock’s shooting with Hilliard’s ballhandling while playing defense to Van Gundy’s liking. That’s a really solid base from which to build. And his rapid progress already has the coaching staff eager to see where it might lead.
“He’ll talk before and after – he doesn’t say one word in practice, ever,” Van Gundy said. “I’ve noticed when I’m watching our other coaches teach, he’s just locked into everything said. He’s never talking to somebody else. He’s just locked in and it shows in his play.”
With two preseason games left and Van Gundy proclaiming the rookie’s debut earned him more minutes, there’s now a realistic chance Gbinije could find his way into the opening-night rotation for a Pistons team that never expected the 49th pick in June’s draft would make his presence felt this soon.