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Pistons Prospects: Frank Ntilikina

By Greg Tonge

Mar 17, 2017; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) prepares to enter the game during the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Raptors won 87-75. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) prepares to enter the game during the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Raptors won 87-75. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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SIG Strasbourg point guard Frank Ntilikina, projected lottery pick, may be an answer for the Detroit Pistons future in the upcoming NBA draft.

The Detroit Pistons currently have the 12th-best lottery odds to get the number one overall pick with a .7% chance in the upcoming NBA Draft. Although they sit in the lottery, it is very unlikely to draft a future all-NBA player at this position if it indeed goes chalk and the Pistons select twelfth.

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Detroit could go multiple different directions with this pick seeing as they aren’t incredibly deep in any one spot. The choice will mostly likely come down to who head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy sees as being a cornerstone for the team going forward after a disappointing season.

International point guard Frank Ntilikina may be an answer to the Pistons problems down the line if they decide to take a chance on him.

Currently projected as a lottery pick, Frank Ntilikina is an 18-year-old phenom who currently plays for SIG Strasbourg out of France’s top-tier basketball league.

The progression of Ish Smith paired with Stan Van Gundy’s recent remarks regarding Reggie Jackson may have some assuming that they aren’t currently ready to draft another point guard, but if they see Frank Ntilikina developing into an all-star caliber player in the coming years it would be hard to pass up on him with this mid-tier slot in the draft.

The Belgian-born point guard has all of the physical assets that you want to see out of a point guard, standing at 6’5 with an outstanding wingspan reaching nearly seven feet. His length should translate well to the league and allow him to be an above average defender who can switch on picks and guard multiple positions.

In his time playing professionally he has also developed a solid pick and roll game, which could be an enticing option to put alongside of Andre Drummond in SVG’s offense strategy.

In the midst of a mostly sound resume for Ntilikina there are some problems that Ntilikina may face once he gets into a league that is littered with talent at the point guard position.

"“Ntilikina checks most of the boxes that NBA teams are looking for in a point guard. The only one he’s missing — that burst — is the one that would make him a star.” – Jonathan Tjarks, The Ringer"

That extra burst that Tjarks is referencing is an extremely important asset to have especially when you are going up against high-caliber athletes on a regular basis, but the hope is that he can utilize his size to close the gap.

With the uncertainty currently surrounding the point guard spot for the Pistons, the team will likely use next season as a barometer to see if a healthy Reggie Jackson is truly the franchise player that they thought he was when they signed him to a long term contract. This could be an ideal situation for Ntilikina to play off-ball and have a chance to get used to the pace of the NBA.

Next: Detroit Pistons Season Wrap: The Bench

And who knows? His skill set and size give him loads of potential; this very well may be the perfect place to take a risk on one of the youngest players in the draft.

h/t: DraftExpress, SIG Strasbourg, Basketball Champions League, Athletic Affairs.

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