Deron Washington Doing His Best to Make Pistons

Deron Washington doing his best to make Pistons
by A. Sherrod Blakely
Friday July 17, 2009, 10:05 PM

LAS VEGAS -- There are plenty of scoring options on the Detroit Pistons' roster.

Deron Washington knows this.

He has displayed a much-improved offensive game after spending a year overseas. But the 6-foot-7 guard/forward understands that playing solid defense and making hustle plays off the bench is his best means of contributing next season.

He certainly showcased many of those qualities Friday in a 92-86 win against Cleveland. Washington totaled 12 points and four rebounds as Detroit rallied in the fourth quarter.

But more significantly, he made multiple effort plays that helped Detroit close out its summer league schedule with a 4-1 record.

And although the Pistons have yet to sign him -- which they won't until they have used up all their remaining salary cap space -- team officials have indicated he will attend training camp.

Washington, drafted by Detroit at No. 59 out of Virginia Tech in 2008, felt confident about his chances of making the team after spending last season in Israel. Based on recent roster changes, Washington will have an opportunity to play his way into the regular rotation.

"I know there's a spot for me to take after they traded (Arron) Afflalo," said Washington, referring to the trade Detroit made earlier this month that sent Afflalo and Walter Sharpe to Denver for a future second-round pick.

Although Afflalo was a solid defender, the Pistons are intrigued by Washington's potential in his size and off-the-charts athleticism.

"He's super athletic, something we really don't have," Pistons assistant coach Pat Sullivan said. "And the greatest thing about him is he's so raw. He's got such an upside. He can be a tremendous player because of his athletic ability."

But Washington has tried to prove he's more than just an above-average athlete.

In the first quarter Friday, the Cavs were a split-second away from grabbing a defensive rebound. But Washington tipped it away, and the extra possession resulted in a short jumper for DaJuan Summers.

Soon after that, Washington was able to knock down a pair of free throws after he corralled a deflected lob pass and was fouled by Cleveland's Darnell Jackson.

His ball handling, which was one of his biggest weaknesses, also appears to have improved.

Cleveland attempted to trap him in second quarter, but Washington split the double team and found teammate Austin Daye, who missed an open jumper.

Later on, Washington took a defender off the dribble and soared in for an uncontested dunk that came just two possessions after he crashed the boards for a put-back dunk following Sean Singletary's miss.

And with the game up in the air in the fourth quarter, Washington drew a pair of offensive fouls to help Detroit squeak out the victory.

"You need guys on the floor who can do the little things," said Scott Perry, Detroit's vice president of ba sketball operations. "He's one of those guys. Because he plays so hard with that type of energy, he'll track down a lot of loose balls, take charges ... he understands who he is as a player, and what he can bring to a basketball team."