Nik Caner-Medley was almost a Piston by NBA birthright. So was Chris Bosh. Unlike the Toronto Raptors superstar, Nik slipped completely out of the draft when the Detroit Pistons seized opportunity and drafted Will Blalock.

“I felt I was one of the best 60 guys in the draft,” said Caner-Medley. “But the draft is based on what a team needs. There were people speculating that I might go from 40 to 60, but I had no solid feeling.”

Obviously Caner-Medley made an impression on the Pistons, enough to invite the tough left hander to join the Pistons’ 2006 TVSL team.

“They were a team all along that showed a lot of interest,” said Caner-Medley. “They were very positive when we talked. They said they had a need for a player like me, that I would be a good fit for their style.”

That was on June 21, when Caner-Medley worked out for Detroit. The Pistons, one of the eight teams Caner-Medley visited, made no promises, but Caner-Medley was happy with the impression he left.

The Pistons were impressed enough to invite Caner-Medley to play for their summer-league team as a free agent.

While there is always a chance that Nik can make the Pistons roster, given that Alex Acker is unsigned, Maurice Evans was traded and Kelvin Cato, Tony Delk, and Lindsey Hunter are free agents, this TVSL 2006 experience is much more likely an audition for either the NBDL draft or international scouts. But Caner-Medley has always had to prove himself, going back to his days growing up in Portland, Maine.

While at Deering High, Caner-Medley fought the perception that he wasn’t quite good enough to play regularly for a top NCAA Division I program. He went on to play for Maryland the year after the Terps won the national championship.

Now he’ll fight to prove he can play in the NBA, and maybe with the team that won the championship in 2005.

“It gives me motivation,” said Caner-Medley before the draft. “I’m confident I can make it.”

These are the type of blue collar, hidden gems that Joe Dumars looks for with a 60th pick. In the 2005 draft, it was Alex Acker. Mature collegiate players who understand that nothing is guaranteed and every opportunity is a treasure.

• Caner-Medley to get his chance with Pistons (Portland Press Herald)

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