Spencer Littleson attended high school less than four miles from the Palace of Auburn Hills, the former gargantuan home of the Detroit Pistons, the team of his youth.
The Pistons won the NBA Finals in 2004 while Littleson was a toddler, and they were a contender into the next decade, with the core of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, and Ben Wallace.
Now, the hometown kid could put on the familiar red, white, and blue colors 30 miles south at the Pistons’ news home in downtown Detroit.
“It’s a really good opportunity and a really good situation,” said Littleson, who completed a pre-draft workout with the Pistons last week.
The Toledo Rocket shot 47.2 percent (103 of 218) from 3-point range last season, the second-best rate in all of college basketball. Littleson was one of the most efficient players in the country, ranking third nationally in offensive rating (136.0), according to KenPom, with the No. 7 true shooting percentage (68.7) and ninth-best effective field goal percentage (67.8).
If you only include conference games, Littleson ranked first in offensive rating (143.4), 3-point percentage (50.0), and forced turnovers (6.2), and second in true field goal percentage (72.6) and effective field goal percentage (71.7).
The Pistons were a woeful 22nd in the NBA in made 3s and 3-point shooting percentage last season, and the team’s two best 3-point shooters — Frank Jackson and Wayne Ellington — are entering free agency.
When the analytics are dissected, it’s no wonder NBA teams have taken a liking to Littleson, who possesses a skill set that’s built for the modern game.
“Shooting is a huge asset,” he said. “The game has been evolving very fast. Guys like Steph [Curry] have changed the game so much. Three-point shooting is such an emphasis, and teams that don’t have it struggle.”
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Littleson has been working out at UT with assistant coach Justin Ingram. Agent Keith Kreiter has worked diligently on making teams aware of his client’s attributes — and they aren’t limited to shooting. Littleson often successfully guarded the best player on the opposing team and still had enough energy to be one of the top shooters.
Littleson was named to the MAC All-Defensive team last season, recording 33 steals to rank ninth in the conference. A ‘3-and-D’ wing is a valuable commodity coming off the bench.
“It’s great for Spencer, and Spencer is a guy who put the work in,” Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk said. “He was religious about the time he spent in the gym. And it’s paid off. The NBA puts a huge premium on spacing the floor, and you can’t space the floor unless you can shoot it. Having an elite shooter like Spencer adds value. I’m not surprised that teams are interested.”
Rob Murphy, the president and general manager of the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League team, and previously the head coach at Eastern Michigan, was familiar with Littleson from high school and college, resulting in a recommendation to his bosses in Detroit that the sharpshooter might be worth their time.
The Pistons have three second-round draft picks.
The workout lasted most of the day, consisting of medical tests, strength evaluations, conditioning, interviews with front office personnel, and 90 minutes of 3-on-3 games.
“It went well,” Littleson said. “I shot the ball pretty well. I met a lot of good people and made some relationships. I thought it was a good experience overall. There was a lot of excitement, especially being a local team for me. I grew up loving the Pistons. It was a cool experience to have that opportunity.”
Two more workouts are imminent, though Littleson couldn’t reveal the franchises. If he goes undrafted in July, Littleson hopes to get on an NBA Summer League roster. Beyond that, a decision will have to be made whether he’ll pursue the G League route or make larger sums of money in Europe, most likely Belgium.
“Overseas is enticing,” Littleson said, “just to explore different countries and learn a lot.”
But there’s no place like home.
First Published June 23, 2021, 2:26 p.m.
