Detroit Pistons Draft Dreams: Jamie Skeen

Jamie Skeen is only a fringe draft prospect, but the Pistons do have a pick late in the second round and if Skeen has good enough workouts, he could sneak into the late second round, where the Pistons have a pick. He’s undersized with some definite limitations, but he’s also a winner and Joe Dumars has never been afraid to look at undersized big men before.

Info

Measurables: 6-foot-8, 240 pounds, senior F from VCU

Key stats: 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 52 percent

Projected: Second round/undrafted

How would he help the Pistons?

As we saw in VCU’s run in the NCAA Tournament, Skeen is not the tallest big man around, but he has a fantastic basketball IQ. He’s strong, he uses his body very well to get rebounds and to make it hard for quicker players to drive by him. Plus, he’s a very good shooter both around the basket and from distance. He shot 42 percent from 3-point range this season. In a draft short on prospects, I’d be more inclined to gamble on a player like Skeen late in the second round. He’s limited physically, but has shown the work ethic and motivation to improve. A large number of second round picks don’t pan out, and the ones who do, pretty reliably, are guys who are known to be hard workers.

How wouldn’t he help the Pistons?

With Jason Maxiell on the roster and hard to move because of his contract, it wouldn’t be the most prudent thing to add another undersized big man, and one who is less athletic than Maxiell at that. I’m not saying Skeen couldn’t do it, but it would be pretty difficult for him to make the Pistons roster.

What are others saying?

From DraftExpress:

"Skeen is oftentimes at a disadvantage on the defensive end due to his average size and lateral quickness. Though he struggles to stay in front of his man away from the basket, he is an effective post defender at the collegiate level. He does just an adequate job of denying his man in the post, but he when he drops into his stance and digs in, he can really disrupt dominant post scorers such as Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson and James Madison’s Denzel Bowles. Coupled with his wingspan, his strength, smarts and intensity allow him to remain a factor despite his average athleticism—and is something he can likely continue to improve on down the road."

From ESPN:

"Skeen’s a true inside-outside player. He battles for position in the paint and he can let it fly from 3-point range. He’s not going to be a lottery pick, but he’s moved from certain free agent to a legit shot at getting drafted — either in the late-first round or the second round."

From Celtics Hub:

"Skeen had a great tournament after being the best player on a mid-major team that made it to the Final Four. VCU was a product of a combination of solid players, great coaching, and Skeen’s ability to play inside and out. He has a reliable jumpshot from 18-22 feet (not sure if he has NBA Three range) and the necessary bulk to bang down low. Think of Skeen as a more offensively polished Jeff Adrien while being a slightly worse rebounder.The biggest reason why Skeen isn’t rated higher on anyone’s draft board is because he’s a classic tweener. He measured really short without socks and there are questions regarding whether or not he’ll be able to defend quicker threes. Ideally, he’d be the guy to defend a LeBron James or a Carmelo Anthony but he hasn’t had an opportunity to prove he has to foot speed or lateral quickness."

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