If you’d choose Player A over Player B based on those thumbnail sketches, it would be by a nose. If you took away the stats and put it to a fan vote based on reputation, chances are Player A would win in a landslide.

Player A is LaMarcus Aldridge. Player B is Charlie Villanueva, and the point and rebound totals from last season were that close even though Villanueva played 10 minutes a game less than Aldridge, 27 to 37. If Aldridge were to hit the open market, teams would be talking about him right after Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire as premier young big men. A closer look suggests there just isn’t that much separating Aldridge – often compared to a young Rasheed Wallace – from Villanueva.

Villanueva has reportedly agreed to a five-year contract with the Pistons, according to multiple media sources, on the first day of free agency. NBA teams are prohibited from commenting on free-agent signings until the one-week moratorium lifts on July 8, though players and their agents can address their intentions.

Villanueva would be one big piece to help plug the hole left in the Pistons’ frontcourt when Wallace hit free agency. He saw his numbers rise steadily when Bucks coach Scott Skiles entrusted him with greater responsibility as last season progressed and injuries forced lineup changes. When Skiles had a healthy Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson at his disposal, he opted to bring Villanueva’s varied offensive arsenal off the bench to better distribute scoring.

But when injuries struck, taking Redd away for much of the season, he expanded Villanueva’s role and saw the fourth-year veteran out of UConn, the No. 7 pick in the 2005 draft, play the best basketball of his career.

The Pistons are getting him at the point of his career – much as they did with players like Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton – when he figures to be ready to blossom. He spent only two years in college and hasn’t been blessed by playing for veteran, playoff-contending teams. Surrounded by players like Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey and fellow free agent Ben Gordon – also cited in various media reports as agreeing to a deal with the Pistons – things are in place for Villanueva to flourish.

Few young big men have Villanueva’s offensive versatility. His length, quickness and nimble footwork make him a threat to score around the basket. He’s one of the best mid-range shooters in the game, calling to mind Antonio McDyess for his efficiency from 18 to 20 feet.

And if there’s one area where Villanueva and Aldridge part company, it’s from the 3-point line. While Aldridge shot 28 last season, Villanueva took nearly 10 times that many (255, or about three per game) and made a very respectable 34.5 percent of them. Given the fairly typical progress young players exhibit in improving the range and consistency of their perimeter game, it’s fair to project Villanueva becoming a more accurate and prolific 3-point shooter.

Big men capable of playing effectively that far from the basket are becoming coveted in the same way baseball teams chase power left-handed pitching. Orlando’s march to the NBA Finals, highlighted by its conference finals win over Cleveland, showed the value of forwards who can step out to the 3-point line and cause severe matchup problems.

Villanueva hasn’t been primarily known for his defense and matchups against powerful post players wouldn’t favor him, but Kwame Brown’s return gives the Pistons a traditional low-post defensive center. And Villanueva has the physical tools to grow into a player good enough to be an asset within the framework of team defense. He’s not a huge shot-blocking threat, but his length makes it difficult for all but the most skilled post players to score consistently against him on the blocks. As his body continues to fill out and he adds core strength, Villanueva has the potential to become an even better rebounder at both ends.

And Villanueva will be only 29 years old when his five-year contract expires, meaning the Pistons are poised to get the best basketball one of the NBA’s most versatile young power forwards has to offer.