Nail the Draft
Memphis had the number two pick in a draft that had two players who were consensus superstar prospects, so nailing the Ja Morant pick wasn’t that hard.
Morant has been even better than advertised in his first year though, averaging 17.5 points and 7.1 assists per game and all but wrapping up the Rookie of the Year award midway through the season. Morant is proof that getting the right pick at the top of the draft is the fast track to rebuilding.
Memphis’ best pick may have come later, when they made a draft day trade for the rights to Brandon Clarke. Clarke has been an impressive two-way player off the bench, and adds even more athleticism to the Grizzlies’ young core. Memphis clearly identified a guy they were high on in the draft and made the trade to make it happen.
Detroit is unlikely to find a Morant in this year’s draft. The Pistons will probably pick somewhere in the 5-10 range unless they unload the veterans and embrace the tank. However, there is value to be had in that range, especially at point guard.
There may not be anyone of Morant’s pedigree, but the Pistons absolutely need to nail this pick and find a young foundational piece to go along with Sekou Doumbouya, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Luke Kennard, Christian Wood and Bruce Brown.
Ed Stefanski and company have done well identifying talent thus far, finding a potential steal in Brown in the second round, making what is turning out to be a great trade when acquiring Mykhailiuk from the Lakers, selecting a high-upside player in Doumbouya and taking a flyer on Wood.
Like Memphis, Detroit needs to identify a player later in the draft who can make an impact and do what it takes to get him, even if that means trading up.
Detroit could find itself with a surplus of late picks after the trade deadline and should package them to move up if they identify a player who they like, much like Memphis did with Clarke.