The Pistons may be signing yet another former Husky to their roster as the second overall pick from 2009, Hasheem Thabeet, will be with the team in training camp. Thabeet could be one of several UConn alums to play for Detroit, who have featured the likes of Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon and Andre Drummond in the past decade. The 7’3 center has been labeled a draft bust after averaging just under 3 points and 3 rebounds per game while playing for the Grizzlies, Rockets, Trail Blazers and most recently, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Last season with OKC, he only appeared in 23 games while putting up numbers slightly lower than the ones above.
Thabeet was picked in a 2009 draft that featured Clippers high-flyer and KIA spokesman Blake Griffin, as well as Stephen Curry and current Pistons point-guard Brandon Jennings. As all of these players enter their 6th season, which is often considered a player's “prime”.
It’s evident that the Grizzlies could have been a stronger contender had they picked Curry instead of letting him fall to the Warriors. Nevertheless, Thabeet struggled in Memphis before finding a comfortable 12th-man role with the Thunder. Teammates of Thabeet’s in Oklahoma City applaud his locker-room presence and overall character, which could help ease some tension for a Pistons team that has been under heavy scrutiny the past two seasons. As head coaches Lawrence Frank and Maurice Cheeks have come and gone, and the Joe Dumars as General Manager era has come to an end, the team is entering a new age. Stan Van Gundy takes over a team loaded with talent that fell far short of expectations last season. The team wasn’t even close to making the playoffs in a weaker Eastern Conference, and the off-season brought rumors of forwards Josh Smith and Greg Monroe butting heads.
While the team bolstered its roster with guards Jodie Meeks and D.J Augustin and forward Caron Butler, they also signed center Aaron Gray a few months back. Basically, there doesn’t seem to be a third-center spot on the roster behind Drummond and Gray, but Thabeet will at least get the chance to make the team. Traditional 12-man rosters feature five guards, five forwards and two centers, but the Pistons may try to stretch to 13 if they see value in the former lottery pick Hasheem Thabeet.