Detroit Pistons #DraftDreams: Ricky Ledo
Info
- Measurables: 6-foot-6, 197 pounds, freshman guard from Providence
- Key Stats: N/A – academically ineligible
- Projected: Late first/early second round
Random Fact
Ledo was one of the top high school players in the country, but didn’t play as a freshman at Providence after he was ruled academically ineligible. Projections from where he might go in this draft have ranged from late lottery to the second round. I liked our own Dan Feldman’s take on Ledo in a conversation with Matt Dery on Twitter:
@PistonPowered Stay far away. Trust me.
— Matt Dery (@DerySpeaks) June 24, 2013
@deryNBA At a certain point, his upside outweighs the risk. Not at 8. Maybe not at 37. But somewhere before 60.
— PistonPowered (@PistonPowered) June 24, 2013
It’s hard to ignore a talent like Ledo’s in the second round, where it’s really unlikely the Pistons or any team are going to get rotation players, let alone someone with star potential. If he’s there at 37, I think the Pistons have to consider him.
Fits with the Pistons because …
Skill-wise, Ledo is a prototypical shooting guard. He can hit from outside, he’s big for a guard, he can take players off the dribble and he can finish. Ledo has been plagued by the dreaded and vague ‘off-court concerns’ label since arriving at Providence, but Chad Ford offered a promising comparison to another talented but troubled prep star — Lance Stephenson. The Pacers took Stephenson in the second round and had to be incredibly patient with him as he matured, but ultimately, it worked out well for them and they now have an improving starter and one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.
Doesn’t fit with the Pistons because …
Are the Pistons patient? The approach they used with Andre Drummond suggests that things might be changing in that respect, but the Pistons as an organization don’t exactly have a great track record of nurturing the players who arrive as rookies and can be described as ‘projects.’ I’m convinced Ledo can succeed in the NBA and I’m convinced that there are teams with the proven organizational structure to give him the support he needs. I’m not convinced the Pistons are one of those organizations. But if Ledo is around at 37, I wouldn’t fault them for trying to be one of those organizations. The payoff for getting it right on a raw talent like Ledo is far too enticing to pass up.
From the Experts:
"Ledo was one of the country’s best high school scorers in 2011-12, but he wasn’t able to showcase his talents after being ruled academically ineligible by the NCAA. Still, a number of GMs believe he could be a late-first-round steal."
"Ledo was inconsistent in Chicago, looking very good on the first day and then coming down to earth a bit in the second. His shooting was hit or miss, but his talent-level with the ball in his hands was unmistakable in terms of his able to create shots smoothly for himself and others at 6-7. He’s clearly a good athlete and ball-handler, mixing in crossovers nicely and finishing above the rim on a couple of occasions. Defensively, Ledo has a ways to go and is probably a long-term project considering how little experience he brings to the table, but his upside is significantly higher than most of the prospects outside of the top-20 or 25, which could convince a team to roll the dice on him, despite the character concerns."