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Meet The Rookies

With the first pick in the 2016 NLL Draft, the Detroit Pistons select......

• Name: Ben Simmons
  Height: 6'10
  Weight: 239 lbs
  Position: SF/PF
• College Stats: 19.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 4.8 ASTS, 2.0 SPG, 56% FG
• Mock Projections: #1 (DX), #1 (nbadraft), #1 (nba.com)
• Week 1 Role: Starting SF
• Potential Ceiling: Many are saying that Simmons can be the next NBA great, with most comparing him to LeBron James. Simmons already has the excellent point forward skills and all-around play style, but like James, will need to develop a better jumper before he can truly be great.
• Potential Floor: While there's always a chance that he busts, even if he does not reach James levels, Simmons should still be a very good player. Think of Lamar Odom, especially if he can develop that outside range.
• GM Mavs: "It was a no-brainier in the end. We really feel like he'll be a revolutionary player in this league. He's a guy you can build a whole franchise around and that's what we plan to do with him.
• Himself: “I'm very excited for the opportunity, the situation. I feel like I can do a lot out of the gate to help the team. I'm ready for the responsibility and I can't wait to really get in the gym and work with everybody.”

• Name: Henry Ellenson

• Height: 6'11

• Weight: 242 lbs

• Position: PF/C

• College Stats: 17 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.5 BPG, 45% FG

• Mock Projections: 19 (DX), #14 (nbadraft), #10 (nba.com)

• Week 1 Role: Backup Big

• Potential Ceiling: Ellenson has Kevin Love-like abilities, but like Love when he first came into the league, it's not all there yet. Unlike Love though, Ellenson already shows strong ball-handling abilities, able to bring the ball up the court following a rebound with ease.

• Potential Floor: Some scouts say Ellenson has the potential to get out of shape quickly, and if that happens, he could turn into more of a Brian, Cardinal or Scalabrine, with some outside scoring ability and hustle, but not much else.

• GM Mavs: “We didn't have him on our radar until about twenty-four hours before the draft. To us, there was no way he fell out of the top ten, or top fifteen tops. This guy has all the talent to be an excellent player. He can play in the post, he can faceup, he can bring the ball up the court, get from the line to the rim easily for a big. We're very excited to see what we can do with him and hopefully get him to live up to his potential.”

• Himself: “I'm ready to go to work. I know the organization has a lot of confidence in me and that makes me really excited to be here. Playing with Ben and Kay, I think we all bring something different, and something solid. Hopefully we can all play in the summer league and start building some chemistry before the real grind starts.”

With the fifty-first pick in the 2016 NLL Draft, the Detroit Pistons select....

• Name: Kay Felder

• Height: 5'10

• Weight: 177 lbs

• Position: PG

• College Stats: 24.4 PPG (#1 Div. 1), 9.3 APG (#1 Div. 1), 4.4 RPG, 29.1 PER

• Mock Projections: #57 (DX), #52 (nbadraft), #54 (nba.com)

• Potential Ceiling: In a perfect world, Felder could explode out of the gates ala fellow little man Isaiah Thomas, who was picked 56^th overall in the 2011 NLL draft. Like Thomas, it may take some time for Felder to truly explode, but the Pistons seem willing to wait and let him develop, whether it be in the big leagues or developmental.

• Potential Floor: Some say Felder may not even make the league, mainly due to his size, but the Pistons have loved him for awhile and are ready to give him an opportunity.

• GM Mavs: “We feel like if he was six feet tall and went to a more high profile school, he'd be a first round pick, but that's not the case, and we're ecstatic to get him at fifty-one. His potential is insanely high for where he was selected, and we're hoping summer league can start him on the path to reach it completely.”

• Himself: “I don't really mince words, I feel like I'm the best player in the draft. That's no offense to Ben, to Henry, I'm ready to work with them, to come in and improve this team, that's just my confidence. I feel blessed that they gave me this opportunity and I'm ready to prove all my doubters wrong.”

So......

The Pistons feel that they drafted the best player in the draft, and two of the highest potential talents as well. They love each guy and can't wait to get them started in summer league. Ellenson and Felder are completely expected to play, while Simmons is likely, but still working out agreements with his agent Rich Paul. These are excited times for Pistons basketball, stay tuned to see what happens in free agency.