Jonas Jerebko Still Searching for Offense

PORTLAND, Ore. -- For every rookie like the Bucks' Brandon Jennings, there are five like the Pistons' Jonas Jerebko.

Jennings, a point guard, has dazzled with a nightly highlight reel on ESPN, staking an early claim for rookie of the year.

Meanwhile Jerebko, Detroit's starting small forward for the foreseeable future, admitted after Tuesday night's 106-93 loss to the Lakers that he is still finding his comfort zone on the offensive end after the first 11 games of his career.

The Pistons and first-year coach John Kuester like Jerebko because of his impact on the defensive end, but the rookie from Sweden said he can do more to help out with scoring.

"(Kuester) trusts me and I can do a lot better than what I've done so far," Jerebko said. "I just need to get some more confidence in my offense."

On defense, Jerebko is a 6-foot-10 burst of energy and doesn't back down from anyone -- including his futile attempts guarding a red-hot Kobe Bryant (40 points) on Tuesday. But on offense, he seems to be aiming his shots instead of just letting the ball fly.

Going into Wednesday night's game at Portland, Jerebko averaged 4.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He was 3-for-12 from the three-point line.

It just shows how quickly things can change. Coming into the season, he was expected to provide depth at forward, but Tayshaun Prince's ruptured disk in his lower back has placed Jerebko into the starting lineup.
His defense is there, and Jerebko and the Pistons think it's only a matter of time before he finds his groove on offense. In the meantime, he will keep hustling for loose balls and passing to his teammates.

"I've always played defense," Jerebko said. "I like to play defense, but I just try to get more comfortable on the court on offense. I'm not very confident right now, but it's going to come."