Austin Daye Impressive, Needs to Get Stronger

July 16, 2009

Pistons' Austin Daye impressive, needs to get stronger

BY VINCE ELLIS
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

LAS VEGAS -- Don't blame Austin Daye if he feels like punching the next guy to ask him about his weight.

He has taken questions about the lack of girth on his skinny, 6-foot-11, 190-pound frame ever since he entered the NBA draft after his sophomore season at Gonzaga.

They continued through the pre-draft combine in Chicago in May.

More inquiries came after the Pistons selected him with the No. 15 overall pick in the June draft.

And the questions will continue until he proves it's not an issue. After four games of summer-league play this week, it is apparent he's talented -- but has a lot of work to do.

He also displayed many skills that make one believe he can be an impact player. Pistons officials are encouraged by his early performances, including a 27-point, 13-rebound effort in Wednesday's win over the Knicks.

"He's playing like a young, developing and talented small forward," Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said this week. "He shows you some of the things that you're intrigued about.

"He shows you a super fundamentally sound game. He shows you the shooting stroke. He shows you the high basketball IQ. He's shown in the first couple of games all the things you like about him."

The good

The first two games -- victories over the Kings and the Raptors -- Daye was solid.

He scored 11 points in the opener against Sacramento, and the only real knock came when he was unable to corral several rebounds in traffic, probably because of a lack of strength.

He then put up a 19-point, eight-rebound night against Toronto, but some of things he pulled off are not common for 6-11 guys.

Pistons assistant coach Darrell Walker took a look at Daye's skill set of ball-handling and passing and figured he might look good initiating the pick-and-roll -- a role usually handled by smaller players.

On the first possession, he made a nice decision and got the assist when center Trent Plaisted scored. Then he freed himself off the pick-and-roll for a lay-up at the rim.

He initiated the fast break and knocked down three-pointers -- definitely one of the better performances of any player during the first few days of the summer league.

The thought of a player with his height and talent should have Pistons fans salivating. He is able to look over defenders to spot open teammates when put in such situations.

"He's got certain things you can't teach," Pistons strength and condition coach Arnie Kander said via phone this week. "You can't teach his length and you can't teach his skill."

The bad

Daye got a firsthand look at the kind of talent he will face on a nightly basis when he was matched up with Golden State's second-year forward Anthony Randolph on Monday night.

Randolph has been a nightmare for everyone opponent in Vegas. He got the best of the Pistons and Daye as the Warriors dominated. Two days later, he tied a summer-league record with 42 points.

Randolph, who has a similar build and skill set to Daye, on one occasion just took the ball from Daye at the top of key and went down for a dunk. Daye also had several turnovers where he lost the ball after contact.

Daye was laboring because he played the entire 40 minutes the previous night against the Raptors, but he didn't use that as an excuse.

"The second game I played really well, and I played really well the first game," Daye said. "I just think today it was so bad it kind of evened out. I definitely I need to make some corrections."

And of being tired, he added: "... with 82 games in the NBA, that's not an excuse."

What's next

Kander and Las Vegas-based trainer Joe Abunassar -- the men charged with making Daye stronger -- both believe Daye has a lot to work with and will be a major player in time.

Daye started working out with Abunassar shortly after he started flirting with the NBA.

Abunassar, who has worked with NBA players such as Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince since 1997, said Daye works hard and will be fine.

And for all the talk about adding weight, Abunassar said it's about power, not size.

"He isn't going to be huge, but it's not about gaining size, it's about getting him strength," Abunassar said. "He's never going to be a big upper-body guy, but we can get him stronger at his core."

With that Daye will see exercises and workouts focused on his upper-leg area -- all in the name of making him a better basketball player, not a Mr. Olympia contestant.

The work is paying off so far. Daye was surprised he was able to put in a 40-minute game.

"He definitely gets you in shape to play an 82-game schedule," Daye said of Abunassar. "He definitely pushes you when you are working out.

"I definitely didn't think I would be able to play 40 minutes in a game. I was surprised that my body was able to fight through it and make the adjustments."

Kander emphasizes posture. He said Daye performed well in pre-draft testing and has quick feet for a man his size.

The potential

It's too early to tell what Daye's role will be on the team next season. He wants to be part of the regular rotation, but the Pistons are expressing patience.

Other teams took notice of Daye. One assistant coach in the Central Division called him an "intriguing prospect." A Western Conference executive said he was "talented, but needs to toughen up."

With the current roster, you would figure Prince and rookie DaJuan Summers to get most of the minutes at small forward with Rip Hamilton moving to the three spot when the Pistons go small with Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon in the backcourt.

But Daye still has plenty of time to make a case for minutes.

"Not that Daye's going to play a lot of minutes, but you never know," Walker said. "I think he's about where he's to be expected. He's a thin player. But when we get to training camp in October and he gets to play against more physical players in the exhibition season, then we'll judge him again.

"Right now I like everything about him."

Additional Facts
No ordinary Daye

Age: 21.

Height: 6-11.

Weight: 190 pounds.

College: Gonzaga.

COLLEGE Career stats

SEASON GP MPG FG% FT% 3PT% BPG RPG APG PPG
2007-08 33 18.5 .475 .881 .413 1.6 4.7 1.0 10.5
2008-09 34 26.3 .477 .706 .429 2.1 6.8 1.1 12.7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Austin Daye's skills on display in Pistons' win
by A. Sherrod Blakely
Wednesday July 15, 2009, 10:45 PM

AP Photo
The Pistons' Austin Daye, right, scored a game-high 27 points Wednesday in a summer league game against the New York Knicks.

LAS VEGAS -- When Austin Daye had a big man on him, he attacked him off the dribble. When guarded by someone smaller, Daye used his 6-foot-10 frame to be effective in the post.

The Detroit Pistons rookie scored a game-high 27 points in a 96-73 win against the New York Knicks, the kind of performance that gives the Pistons hope that his lithe frame won't be a major issue this season.

"That's going to be an issue all year long, there's no question about it," Detroit summer league coach Pat Sullivan said. "But you can see the skill level is there."


Daye was put the ball on the floor and beat players off the dribble. He drew fouls with a slew of up-and-under moves around the basket. He also moved without the ball and established position at times in the paint for scoring opportunities.

"I just want to showcase what I can do," Daye said. "It's a process for me through the whole summer league. I'm just trying to learn."

Highlights

Sullivan also was impressed with how Daye, as well as DaJuan Summers (26 points Wednesday) bounced back from sub-par performances in Detroit's 97-69 loss to Golden State on Monday.

"Both of those guys had heavy legs, almost like what happens to rookies in the NBA," Sullivan said. "We challenged them on Monday and (Tuesday). To see how they responded, was great."