Detroit Pistons 4 top prospects with the Grand Rapids Drive

The Grand Rapids Drive have been developing the Detroit Pistons young talent well, but who have the standouts been so far?

The G-League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, the Grand Rapids Drive, have been an exciting team to watch this season. As it stands, the Drive are sitting at 9-8  and are the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

After starting off 9-5, they’ve gone on a three-game losing streak that’s seen them lose their top scorer Jordan Bone to an ankle injury. Without Bone, they’ll have to look for someone to step up and lead, and luckily for them, they have a lot of guys that are talented enough to do so, and many of them might be leaders on the Pistons in the near future.

1. Louis King

I guess the Pistons knew what they were doing when they signed undrafted forward Louis King to a two-way contract after the draft. While King had a pretty abysmal Summer League, making many fans question just why the Pistons gave him that two-way, he has been nothing short of spectacular so far with the Drive.

During 13 games with the Drive, King is averaging 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, in about 30 minutes of action. At 20-years-old, his offensive game is very refined. In other words, the man can flat out get buckets. His length is a problem for defenders trying to close out on him, at a height of 6-foot-6, and possessing a 7-foot wingspan.

King is extremely talented offensively. He can take defenders off the dribble and pull up. He can attack the rim and finish. He can even knock down three’s at a consistent clip of 36%.

One area of improvement for King is his assist-to-turnover ratio. He averages slightly more turnovers than assists at the moment, which could be cause for concern. But as a young player, who’s still learning how to make the right play, and still getting smarter, this is definitely something I see improving.

Defensively, there is a bit to be desired, although, he’s third on the team in steals per game. He has decent anticipation but definitely having that great wingspan helps. He doesn’t always have the easiest time defending one-on -one, but his long arms help him guard from behind and bother the offensive player even when not in the best position to defend.

King, overall, has been huge offensively for a Drive team that mostly prides itself on defense. His ability to make difficult shots is fantastic for late in the shot clock when you just need the ball to go in. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, he does what he has to do to help his team win the game. He’s only going to improve as a shooter and a finisher, and with his natural abilities, you hope his defense will come around and he could be a legitimate two way forward in the NBA.