Michael

Gbinije

He didn’t seem concerned, so it’s likely just a precaution. The Pistons play the Magic on Monday for their second summer league game, but we should learn his status soon.

The fifth-year senior played point guard for Syracuse and averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, 4.1 boards, 1.9 steals and 2.5 3-pointers this season. He’s a solid athlete with good size at 6'7", though he will likely play on the wings at the NBA level. Currently projected to be a second-round pick, Gbinije has already worked out for eight teams and has four or five more workouts scheduled before the draft.

One of those positions is point guard, so the Pistons might only look to sign one free agent point guard behind Reggie Jackson. Gbinije was a fifth-year point guard, but there’s certainly a reason he slipped to 49 in the draft. He was a 39.2 percent shooter from deep in each of his last two seasons, so that might be something SVG can appreciate.

Gbinije is a fifth-year senior point guard from Syracuse where he averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, 4.1 boards, 1.9 steals and 2.5 3-pointers, and he’s a solid athlete with good size at 6'7". It’s unclear if he will play point guard in the NBA, but it’s obvious that the Pistons need a reliable backup for Reggie Jackson.

Gbinije wll miss the rest of summer league as he deals with a sprained right ankle, but he’ll have a chance to earn a roster spot as a backup point guard once he’s healthy. Even if the 24-year-old is able to play his way onto the Pistons roster, he won’t see enough minutes to matter in standard fantasy leagues.

If Gbinije plays well at the point, SVG said that he could open the season as the Pistons’ third-string PG, meaning SVG will still look to add a primary backup to Reggie Jackson in free agency. Gbinije is 6'7" and can play three positions, so it won’t be the end of the world if he doesn’t find success at the point. The fifth-year senior out of Syracuse probably won’t see too many minutes in his rookie season.

Stan Van Gundy said that Gbinije will continue to rehab this week and will then join the Nigerian National Team in Vegas. At best, Gbinije will be the third-string PG in Detroit.

It’s an unfortunate development for the second-round pick, but he should get plenty of chances to show what he’s capable of doing—including playing the point guard position—in training camp.

No surprises here. Gbinije is pretty versatile and can play multiple positions, but the Pistons have too much depth for the 24-year-old rookie to make an impact this season. He’ll be spending a lot of time in the D-League.

In addition to being impressed by the 24-year-old, SVG also added that he’s going to carve out more time for the rookie for the rest of the preseason. While Gbinije has potential, he’s unlikely to be part of the Pistons rotation early in the season and won’t have any fantasy value if he ends up in the D-League.