The Terrico White Question

No game today. Time to shed some light on the Terrico White Question: Can Terrico White become an NBA point guard? I understand that it is the summer league and that meaningful conclusions are tough to draw from such a small sampling of games but we'll work with what we got.

Scenario 1: Terrico White can play point guard in the NBA.

This is the best case scenario in my opinion. My mind is full of images of Rodney Stuckey and Terrico White, two tall, strong, players at the guard positions, wrecking havoc on the Jameer Nelsons and Derek Fishers of the NBA with lock-down defense, post-ups, explosive drives and pull up jumpers all the while handing out a healthy amount of assists in the greatest Pistons' back court since Billups and Hamilton. Think of the mismatch potential with Terrico's athleticism and three point range coupled with Rodney's wrecking ball drives and blossoming pull-up game.

If that sounds too good to be true then I would settle for Terrico being able to learn the offense, run the offense, and be a solid option a the point as a back up next year, with potential to become a starter at the one later on.

Scenario 2: Terrico White is not a true NBA point guard.

This is probably the more realistic scenario. The one where Terrico can play the point in a pinch but will have more success at his natural position, two guard. He will still be a valuable addition to an already deep Pistons' back court, but unless Dumars orchestrates a trade for Hamilton or Gordon, Terrico will likely be buried at the end of the bench behind the veterans.

Why Terrico's summer league performance so far favors Scenario 1:

Terrico doesn't turn the ball over despite having it in his hands much of the time. The guy just doesn't give up the ball. Through three games he has 6 assists and only 2 turnovers. He seems at ease handling the ball and makes the easy play. In the NBA, or at any level of basketball, taking care of the ball is paramount to a team's success and Terrico takes care of the ball. He has poise, plays under control, and doesn't seem to get rattled, important traits for an NBA point guard. Despite his relatively low assist numbers these "intangibles" attest to Terrico's ability to become a successful point guard.

Why Terrico's summer league performance so far favors Scenario 2:

Terrico isn't a dynamic play maker. He is a dynamic scorer. He has shown little desire to get into the lane off the dribble and kick to shooters, which you would think would be one of his strong suits due to his size and athleticism. His shooting game is clearly more advanced than his passing game. The guy makes tough shots and has range. He doesn't attempt tough passes or even mildy risky passes. I have yet to see Terrico attempt to "thread the needle" to anyone. Terrico has done nothing at the point so far this summer that Bynum, Stuckey, Gordon, Hamilton, Prince or Daye could not duplicate as far as the passing game. All the players referenced can bring the ball up and either dump it into the post or swing it to a wing shooter.