Casper Ware began his bid to crash an NBA roster this week.
Ware, who accepted the Detroit Pistons’ invitation to play for their summer league team after being passed over in the draft last week, has played two games for the Pistons in the Orlando Pro Summer League.
Depending on Ware’s performance in the five-game season, he may be able to make the Pistons’ roster next season.
“It’s been a good experience,” Ware said of summer league. “I’ve been able to go up and compete with the lottery picks. We got [2012 first-round pick] Andre Drummond here. Lots of other good players are competing, and it’s been good to compare my game to them and just see how I match up with them.”
Ware said he was surprised by the high level of competition he’s seen.
“Everybody can play,” Ware said. “All the way down to the last guy on the bench. They’re there for a reason.”
Despite his success playing against NBA players in the Drew League last summer, Ware has struggled to adjust to the stiff competition this year.
He has averaged 3.5 points and 1.5 assists on just 17 percent shooting in limited minutes in his first two games.
He has still had his shining moments, however, showing glimpses of the same skills he used to light up the Big West Conference.
In his first outing Monday against the Utah Jazz, Ware routinely set up teammates for open looks, though some were not converted into baskets. On one possession, he drove the ball toward the rim and arched in a floater over a crowded lane of large defenders, just as he has countless times before in the Walter Pyramid.
In Tuesday’s game against the Orlando Magic, he again made just 1 of 6 shots, but was more effective on both ends of the floor. He knocked down a long three-pointer, showcasing his NBA-range, and pushed the ball in transition to rack up a couple of assists.
He also caused problems for some of Orlando’s guards with his pesky on-ball pressure defense, which culminated in a steal and fast-break opportunity on one possession.
“I feel like I’m holding my own defensively,” Ware said. “I really just need to keep focusing on being a distraction and making things difficult for [opponents].”
The Pistons are 2-0 in summer league play and look to remain undefeated as they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday and the Boston Celtics on Thursday.
Ware knows he needs to play better in the three remaining summer league games to snag a spot on the Pistons’ bench, but he’s also not fretting over his showing thus far.
“I really just need to shoot the ball better,” Ware said after going a combined 2 for 10 from outside in his first two games. “I feel like I did a good job taking care of the ball and doing some other things. And my shooting is the thing I’m most confident about, so I’m really not too worried about that.”
Rarely does a player in Ware’s situation beat the odds and end up joining a team, but he remains confident.
“I feel I have a good chance,” Ware said. “I feel like my game is going to come together this week … hopefully, everything will fall into place.”