reflections
May 27th, 2008 D.J. White: Detroit Bound?

According to DraftExpress, rumors suggest that Indiana forward D.J. White has received a late-first round draft promise; Detroit comes about as a strong possibility given their history.

D.J. White may a promise from the Detroit Pistons at the end of the first round, according to sources with ties to the player. The Pistons have the 29th overall pick and may like the way White’s length and toughness fit into their team’s overall culture. They have not been shy in the past about identifying players they like early on and being aggressive pursuing them—having made a promise to draft Rodney Stuckey with the 15th overall pick right around this time last year, and reportedly also giving DeVon Hardin assurances they would select him in the late first round before he decided to return to school. They did the same exact thing with Jason Maxiell a few years back, which caused him to pull out of the NBA pre-draft camp after just one day, despite then being projected as a 2nd round pick.

White has scheduled many workouts with NBA teams for the weeks leading up to draft, which is not unusual even for players like Stuckey or Maxiell if year’s past is any indication. He will not be playing in the NBA pre-draft camp, which is a pretty good sign that he feels comfortable with where he is projected to be drafted.

White is one of those hard-to-dislike, blue collar bruisers that is more than willing to do anything and everything that is asked of him. In college, he was known for his relentless hard work and extraordinary nose for the ball. In his senior year, however, he also managed to expand his game. As the season progressed, as did the consistency of his mid-range jump shot. When matching that with his soft touch around the basket, he is a guy that defenses can’t abandon.

On the defensive end, he has long reach to his advantage, and is widely considered an above average shot blocker for his size. On the glass? “Fah-get about it”… he gobbles up defensive rebounds in his sleep.

White may struggle in the NBA on the defensive end, as he is not as quick or athletic as his typical matchup will be. But in a limited role, there is no doubt that he can be an effective piece. Think of a less explosive Leon Powe. He’ll never “wow” you, but he’ll get the job done as a cleanup man.

It’ll be interesting to see where he lands, but it’s easy to fathom White being a Joe Dumars kind of guy.

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Posted By: Dustin Chapman

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