Detroit Pistons: Early player comparisons for the Pistons’ rookies

Detroit Pistons: Player comps for Killian Hayes

Killian Hayes reminds me of a young Jalen Rose

Jalen Rose entered the NBA as a point guard with plus size, a high basketball I.Q., a questionable jumper and a perceived lack of quickness. Sound familiar?

Rose is taller than Hayes, but otherwise, their games are similar. Both of them rely on their size to get where they want on the floor, both can defend multiple positions and both came into the league with a flawed jumper.

If you look at Rose’s numbers as a rookie (8.2 points, 4.8 assists on poor shooting splits) it’s not hard to imagine that Killians Hayes’ stats would have been similar if he had not gotten hurt.

Hayes was averaging 4.6 points and 3.6 assists before going down with an injury and setting back his development.

The biggest difference between Rose and Hayes is that Rose was 22-years-old as a rookie and Hayes is just 19, which makes him a much higher-ceiling prospect.

Hayes may end up being better than Rose, but Jalen was no slouch, just take a look at his numbers. This was a point guard who defended the wing and had a season where he scored 22.1 a game and shot 37 percent from 3-point range.

If Hayes ever becomes the player that Rose was, the Pistons will have a solid guy to build around for the next decade. I would take that in a heartbeat.