The Detroit Pistons have been given Luke Kennard in many mock drafts. Still left on the board in all of these mocks, is the dynamic Donovan Mitchell.
These are two players that could fill a lot of needs for the Pistons, but bring total different skill sets to the team.
In Kennard, the Pistons would be getting the more polished offensive product, a guy that can create his own offense and shoot from the perimeter with consistency. However, he is athletically limited and will likely be a liability defensively. Offensively, he’s exactly what the Pistons were missing last season.
On the other hand you have the ultra-athletic Mitchell who has the length and speed (6’10” wingspan despite 6’3” frame) to be a defensive stopper at either guard spot. He’s also a really good slasher and has some perimeter shooting upside, despite being weaker than Kennard overall on the offensive end.
That leaves us with a very important question, who should the Pistons grab with the 12th overall pick, assuming both players are available?
My take? It’s Donovan Mitchell, and it really isn’t close.
The Pistons need a player with Mitchell’s upside on the roster, and with Reggie Jackson’s health in question, and not much depth behind Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at shooing guard, Mitchell looks to be a player that could compete right away and potentially develop into a strong guard.
While I think Kennard has a defined role in the NBA as well, I see Mitchell as a late lottery sleeper who could be an extremely high performer.
That’s my take, what’s yours?