Pistons' Summer League Roster Starts to Take Shape

Pistons' summer league roster starts to take shape
by A. Sherrod Blakely
Monday June 29, 2009, 9:45 PM

AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons are putting the final touches on their summer league roster.

In addition to their three draft picks from last week, the summer league team also will include the last year's second-round picks (Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted and Deron Washington) as well as Will Bynum.

Others expected to play include: center-forward Dwyane Jones (played in six games for Charlotte last season), shooting guard Clay Tucker (played for ACB Cajasol in Spain last season), point guard Ibrahim Jaaber (two-time Ivy league player of the Year at Penn), and forward Matt Freije (All-American at Vanderbilt).

Body by Joe
Detroit's Austin Daye is among a handful of first-round picks from last week's draft who are training at Joe Abunassar's Impact Sports Academy in Las Vegas.

Abunassar, a Michigan native, has worked with current Pistons such as Tayshaun Prince and former Pistons including Chauncey Billups as well as some of the NBA's top players, such as Boston's Kevin Garnett and Los Angeles Clippers guard Baron Davis.

Small world

Seven years ago, Dumars and then-vice president of basketball operations John Hammond (now the GM of the Milwaukee Bucks) were at the World Championships in Sweden. A 14-year-old kid pulled up a seat next to Dumars, and talked his ear off for the rest of the tournament.

That kid was Jonas Jerebko.

"I wasn't really watching the game," said Jerebko.