PistonPowered
Fansided

Detroit Pistons #DraftDreams: Doron Lamb

ByPatrick Hayes|

Info

  • Measurables: 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, sophomore G from Kentucky
  • Key Stats: 13.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists per game, 47 percent from the field, 47 percent from three
  • Projected: Late first round/second round
  • Hickory High Similarity Score

Why I’m intrigued by this guy

I dunno what to write here without sounding redundant and sounding like I like every single prospect in this draft. I’ll go with … because Kevin Sawyer of Detroit Bad Boys really, really likes him:

"Not a lot of upside here., perhaps. With Lamb, you get one bankable skill (shooting) and that’s it. That said, Lamb has the size and the hands to bring his efficiency (64% TS) to the NBA level without a hitch. He’s the 8th best draft prospect, I think, but he’s too vanilla for a lottery team to bite. Don’t see him slipping past the first round though."

Pros for the Pistons

First and foremost, I trust John Calipari as a finder of NBA talent. No one at the college level is better than him in that respect, so if Lamb could play a big role at Kentucky, I’m convinced he can play some role for a NBA team.

And secondly, the dude can flat out shoot, and that’s a skill the Pistons desperately need. Brandon Knight had a nice season shooting the ball, but shooting was never known as his strength prior to his rookie season. I’m not saying he’ll regress, I’m just saying I’d like to see him replicate that long range shooting performance before I’m convinced that he’s a lethal NBA 3-point shooter. Ben Gordon is a legitimate long range threat, but who knows what his long-term future with the team is and paying $12ish million per season for a one-dimensional shooter isn’t ideal. Lamb, on the other hand, if he’s there in the second round would not only put another shooter on the court to open driving lanes for Knight or Rodney Stuckey, he’d do so at the cheap price of a second round contract. Plus, unlike Gordon, he has the physical tools (namely, wingspan and quickness) to develop into a solid defensive player and, also unlike Gordon, Lamb is a good ball-handler and not as turnover prone. He’d be great value for the Pistons if he’s still around when they pick early in the second round.

Cons for the Pistons

Lamb could find his path to getting minutes blocked until the Pistons do something with Gordon. Their backcourt is crowded albeit flawed, and unless Lamb can play some backup minutes at small forward, he might sit a lot initially. I think the Pistons, ideally, would like to find players with their first two picks in this draft who have a good shot at being rotation players or better. I think Lamb would be good enough to be a rotation player, but because of the roster situation, he’d be a likely player to get squeezed out of minutes.

What others are saying

Chad Ford:

"Lamb isn’t the all-around talent that the other four draft candidates from Kentucky are. However, he’s one of the two or three best shooters in the draft. Later in the first round, teams often opt for specialists over upside and Lamb could prove valuable to a few veteran teams that really need a jump shooter."

DraftExpress:

"While Lamb lacks elite physical tools, he has once again proven to be a dependable and active defender at the collegiate level. He struggles to stay in front of quicker players at times, but he shows very good fundamentals and effort, suggesting that he will be a very capable defender at the next level with continued work on his strength and added experience."

Previously

Home/Pistons News