Daye adds strength

LAS VEGAS — Pat Sullivan remembers vividly the first couple of Summer League practices in July 2009.

He was focused on the Pistons’ first-round pick out of Gonzaga, Austin Daye.

He was trying to figure out why this guy was picked.

“I remember when he got drafted, I was like, ‘I don’t see it. I don’t know where this kid is,’ ” the assistant coach recalled last week. “I went up to him and said, ‘Hey, man, you got to start going now.’ ”

Well, he got it going last week. Daye was the most skilled player among the group of rookies and second-year players on this year’s Summer League roster.

In the first two games (both Pistons victories), he averaged 21 points, shot nearly 47 percent from the field and 57 percent from 3-point range. He was limited afterward with a minor hip injury, but he looks poised to build on his promising rookie season and become the offensive force the Pistons believe he can be.

“The thing about it is, I want to come in and be more aggressive this year, and I want to show my aggressiveness on the court, and I’ve done that in my first couple of practices and my first couple of games, and that’s what the coaching staff has asked of me,” Daye said of his first two summer games.

Daye showed promise in his rookie season despite playing more minutes than expected because of injuries.

But after the season, Daye was told to work on three things: strength, aggressiveness and focus.

Look at his lanky frame and you could tell he needed to get stronger. And for someone so offensively gifted, he tended to be passive and dwell on mistakes.

Daye’s improved strength was apparent in the second game against the Warriors when he was matched up against Reggie Williams. The 6-foot-11 Daye was forced to play two-guard, so he found himself facing the shorter Williams.

Williams is 6-6 and has more bulk, but Daye was able to take him into the low post and establish position – something he couldn’t do last season.

Daye might not look larger, but it’s obvious he is stronger in his base.

“That’s the main thing you got to establish first, not just your arm definition, but your legs, your lower back, your butt – you got to make sure all those are strong, and in the post it’s more about your legs than your upper body,” Daye said.

And it seems he has added confidence, too. Whenever Daye caught the ball, he instantly would get into position where he could drive, shoot or pass.

“It’s nice that I can rely on him, because he’s such a skilled player,” Sullivan said.

Daye is a young player, so his focus still needs work. Coach John Kuester said in the third game that Daye let his sore hip affect his concentration and defense. Kuester wants Daye to learn to play through adversity.

“I keep talking about the next play,” Sullivan said. “If you make a mistake, don’t show it with body language or anything like that.

“Just move on to the next play, and I think he’s getting better at that.”