When Trent Plaisted announced he would not return to BYU to complete his college career with the Cougars, BYU fans were stunned. All hopes of a big run in the NCAA tournament seemed lost. Worse yet, many fans thought Plaisted would never be a contender in the NBA, for all his flaws and weaknesses.

If the NBA summer league is worth anything, the 6-foot-11-inch forward may have a solid career with the Detroit Pistons.

The magic number for Plaisted is 24. No, it's not the number on his brand new Pistons jersey; it's the average minutes per game he has logged on the court.

What's impressive about this 24, however, is that it is third overall in the team's lineup, and first among rookies and free agent hopefuls in Detroit.

"Trent's defense is definitely ahead of his offense," Detroit head coach Michael Curry told the Michigan-based Web site, mlive.com. "Pick-and-roll is what our league has gone to now. Your bigs have to be able to get out and move their feet. He already can get up and defend pick-and-rolls, which is the hardest thing to do for a big man right now."

In three games in the summer league in Las Vegas, Plaisted has posted stellar numbers for an NBA rookie. Playing his trademark power forward position, the Texas native appears to have already adapted to his new level.

Plaisted is averaging four points and three rebounds per game. However, the lull is likely because of the Pistons' latest game against Milwaukee, a 73-59 loss in which Plaisted ran the court for only 15 minutes and posted one rebound and one assist. Before the loss, Plaisted averaged six points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

In earlier games against the Clippers and Lakers, both Piston wins, Plaisted has adapted well. In the game against the Lakers on July 11, the ex-Cougar scored 10 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. Returning to a form almost forgotten by BYU fans, Plaisted was also 2-for-2 from the stripe.

While many players would forget their college experience as soon as possible, Plaisted still remembers the skills and experience from his BYU days.

"I came from good coaching where we emphasized good defense," Plaisted told reporters from mlive.com.

Some local Detroit reporters are even calling Plaisted "one of Detroit's most consistent players thus far in summer league."

All this has gotten Detroit fans talking about a recurring role for the BYU product throughout his rookie season. While a position in the starting rotation may be out of Plaisted's reach, Curry has been impressed by the big man's defensive play.

"I like the way he finishes around the basket," Curry told mlive.com. "He's what we call a live body. He does really well defending and going to the rim, offensive and defensive boards."

Only time will tell if Plaisted can live up to the expectations thrust on him early. But if the same things from the summer league work out by the beginning of the NBA season, he may be sticking around Detroit for a long time to come.

BYU fans can watch Plaisted today at 2 p.m. MT on NBA TV, as the Pistons face the Dallas Mavericks.

Copyright Brigham Young University 17 Jul 2008