Pistons begin workout process

With the NBA Draft in just over two weeks, the Pistons have begun the search for their pick at number 9.

They’ve scheduled workouts with several of the most likely options available to them at that pick, including North Carolina forward John Henson, who has been projected as Detroit’s pick for some time now. Surprisingly, that official team workout won’t take place until the 25th of this month – just three days before the actual draft.

In an interview with the Free Press after the predraft combine, the 6’10” big man said he would be working out against the likes of Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger, Baylor’s Perry Jones and Kentucky’s Terrence Jones; another trio of players that would probably be available for the Pistons to select in the draft. As of right now, all of these players are projected to go in the mid- to late-lottery, so having them compete together could absolutely shift draft stocks and teams’ opinions.

I think it’s a great idea scheduling all of them together. It allows the Pistons to see how the different styles of each player – Henson’s length and shot-blocking ability, Sullinger’s low-post game, P. Jones’ athleticism, and T. Jones’ face-up game – interact against each other. It also gives them a chance to see a variety of players in one workout, meaning they won’t have to schedule a plethora of workouts.

None of the potential picks are without their drawbacks, of course.

Henson, at 220 pounds, will absolutely need to bulk up. Plain and simple, a 220-pound forward will get eaten alive in the Association. The Pistons already have a player in Austin Date that hasn’t been able to add bulk since being drafted by the Pistons, so clearly they’ll need to work on strength and conditioning in Auburn Hills.

For Sullinger, it’s the same problem, just the other way. Last week at the draft combine, Sullinger weighed in at 268.2 pounds with 10.7 percent body fat. That’s the fifth-highest at the combine – he’ll likely need to trim down a bit if he doesn’t want to become the next Sean Mays.

The Jones’ – Perry and Terrence – both suffer from a lack of position. While both can jump out of the gym, they lack an ideal game to match their heights and weights. Perry is 6’11” and 234, while Terrence is 6’9” and 252; both would be great in the low-post, if they could learn that style.

The Pistons haven’t forgotten about their second round selections, though.

They have planned workouts with a trio of forwards – Quincy Miller from Baylor, Jeff Taylor from Vanderbilt, and JaMychal Green from Alabama. It’s good to see them going for potential youth and depth in the second round, which is something the team could’ve used this past season.

The team is also looking for backup guards, as they have already worked out Missouri guard Marcus Denmon, Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom, and Cal Santa Barbara’s Orlando Johnson. With the possibility of Ben Gordon being amnestied, the final year of Will Bynum’s contract, and the lack of quality bench guards after that, it will only benefit the team to look at these players.
 

Ref: Detroit Free Press