The Detroit Pistons could find a player locally in Franz Wagner.
The Detroit Pistons can start mining talent in their home state.
One of the most special narratives in sports is the generational talent drafted to their hometown team. The LeBron James and Derrick Rose types don’t come around all that often, but the trajectory of these guys’ careers can leave indelible marks on franchises.
Less discussed is the professional athlete drafted into the same state as the college they played for. Despite the rabid fanbase that college sports instigates, the same passion for keeping these athletes within state lines isn’t nearly as powerful.
Deandre Ayton, for example, was the first overall pick out of Arizona to the Phoenix Suns, but he remains a talented foundational piece outside of the All-Star conversation.
Given the NBA talent that has come out of the college level in Michigan, it’s surprising that the Detroit Pistons have largely avoided drafting from this pool of players. The last in-state player drafted by the franchise was Mateen Cleaves in 2000 after he led Michigan State to a national title.
The most recent marriage of college and pros that looked destined was Michigan guard Trey Burke to Detroit in 2013. But the Pistons opted for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope instead with the eighth selection. Burke was drafted the very next pick.
But in 2021, with a likely early pick in the second round, Wolverines-loving Michiganders may be appeased: Franz Wagner should be on Detroit’s radar in that spot.
Detroit Pistons: Who is Franz Wagner?
Wagner was playing professional basketball in Germany before enrolling at Michigan. He joined the Wolverines at 6-foot-9, 205 pounds, and is already bulked up to 220 for his sophomore season.
After speculation he might be one-and-done, Wagner announced in April that he was returning to Michigan.
Wagner is the brother of another Wolverine great and former first-round pick, Moritz, currently a power forward for the Washington Wizards. The younger Wagner shares a number of traits with his older brother. He’s vocal, brash, energetic, and multi-faceted on the basketball court.
But unlike his brother, 19-year-old Wagner has the versatility to play with or without the ball and adequately guard one through five.
His freshman season, he averaged 11.6 points, 5.6 boards, 1.0 assists, and 1.3 steals on 45-percent shooting per game.
Despite greater offensive depth this year, Wagner overcame a poor start and is registering 12.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.3 blocks on 52-percent shooting (over 35 percent from three) per game through 10 contests.
In his last four games, he’s averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 boards a game.
Wagner is sized like a forward, moves like a wing, and is listed as a guard on Michigan’s roster. Before the college and NBA seasons began, draft experts slotted Wagner to be drafted early- to mid-second round in a deep class.
Detroit Pistons: Franz Wagner could complement Saddiq Bey
Wagner has a similar body type to Saddiq Bey, but his offensive arsenal has the potential to be boundless.
Yes, he has vastly improved his outside shooting from 31 to 35 percent this year, but he prefers to put the ball on the floor. Wagner can navigate through the paint and finish utilizing his long wingspan.
His awareness has taken a leap, too. As a more potent threat on offense, Wagner is better at seeing the floor and kicking out on drives when the shot isn’t available.
His assist rate — percentage of how many teammates field goals are assisted while he’s on the floor — took a massive 12.3-percent leap. This could be a byproduct of improvements to the offense, though.
Wagner perhaps has demonstrated the most growth on the defensive end. There are still a number of situations he can find himself flat-footed, but he doesn’t get beat off the dribble too often.
He is switchable on any ball-handler and has gained some weight to better acquit himself when defending down low. His defensive box plus-minus has already jumped from 3.8 to 6.0 this year.
Even though he and Bey have some similarities, their offensive games complement each other, as Bey is a spot-up shooter and Wagner can get to the rim and finish.
Detroit Pistons: How Franz Wagner fits with the roster
Despite the ascendance of Jerami Grant to an All-Star caliber player, Detroit’s half-court offense is one of the worst in the league.
The Pistons rank 14th in 3-point shooting frequency but 28th in accuracy, notching just 33.1 percent from beyond the arc. They are eight in shots taken at the rim but 22nd in field goal percentage.
Given the variety of shots Wagner has successfully put up at Michigan, he could be a band-aid for those shooting woes.
The caveat to selecting to Wagner is that, like Killian Hayes, Sekou Doumbouya, and any other inexperienced player on Detroit, he is a project.
He is only 19 years old and can show his youthfulness on the court. Wagner can be over-eager to make plays resulting in errant shots. He doesn’t possess otherworldly athleticism either, relying on pure skill and his NBA body.
At Michigan, though, Wagner has already taken big steps in his development and flashed the skill necessary to find success at the highest level.
It’s just a matter of how well the Detroit Pistons could tap into that.
The Pistons have a rising talent right in their back yard and need to start paying more attention to local players.