3 players the Detroit Pistons should have drafted in 2016

The 2016 NBA Draft class was one of the best in recent memory, and the Detroit Pistons missed out. Who should they have picked?

Some of the top emerging stars in today’s game came out of the 2016 NBA Draft, but the Detroit Pistons didn’t select any of them.

Players like Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown, and Buddy Hield just to name a few were all selected inside of the top ten.

The Pistons, who made their selection at 18th overall, wound up with Henry Ellenson. A 6’10” forward who in theory, would have made a great pair with Andre Drummond in the front court.

Ellenson nearly averaged a double double at Marquette, and although his three-point percentage sat at a mere 28.8, he showed signs of true promise as a floor spacer at the next level.

To make a long story short, his game just never translated in the NBA. He was ineffective on both ends of the floor and appeared in just 59 total games for Detroit over a three year span. He was waived in 2019, and was later picked up by the Knicks.

The Pistons have had some pretty rough luck in the draft for the last decade, and Ellenson is just another product of that. With the 2016 class being as star-studded as it was, it’s a tough blow that they missed out in the way that they did.

Playing hypothetical games and living in a constant state of “what if” often leads to disappointment and counter-productivity. However, Detroit basketball could have looked a lot differently today had they gone in a different direction.

Who could they have selected instead?