Kyle Singler is finally ready for his rookie season in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons.
He is ready to experience life in the league after spending a year in Spain playing for CB Lucentum Alicante and Real Madrid last season. He is ready to show that he grew his game playing in Europe.
But there is one more thing Singler is prepared for and is an atmosphere he thrives in: the boo birds.
It means you are winning and you have that certain status," Singler said earlier in the week.
"It's something good to have. It is something you strive to get. It is something you build over time and you have to obtain it. It is not just given to you.
Chalk it up to his days playing at Duke where the 6-foot-8 forward was the MVP at the Final Four in 2010 during the Blue Devils title run and only experienced 23 losses in his four years in college.
But that was then. And a lot has occurred since Singler graduated from Duke.
Drafted 33rd overall in 2011 by the Detroit Pistons, Singler took his game overseas during the lockout and opted to remain in Europe once the work stoppage resolved much to Joe Dumars' dismay.
Now in Detroit, Singler may not just be hearing the boos on the road this season. He may experience some fickle Pistons' fans at home too if he doesn't step up in the regular season while coming off of Lawrence Frank's bench. He held his own on Tuesday versus the Orlando Magic, scoring 9 points in 15 minutes in Detroit's 112-86 preesason win. Thursday night was a different story. In a 105-78 loss to the Miami Heat, Singler played roughly 12 minutes and finished with 2 points and 2 rebounds.
In five preseason games, he is averaging 5 points per game in 14 minutes while shooting 47 percent from the field. The adjustments will come for Singler. They may come slowly and over the course of a long NBA season, but just maybe he will start feeling more at home if the boos rain down.
Then again, it is up to the Detroit Pistons to warrant that distain.
[foolw]
