The Detroit Pistons will be players in the upcoming NBA Draft. They have four picks, including one that they hope lands in the top five.
After the Delon Wright trade, the Pistons have three picks in the second round that they could use in a number of ways.
They could use them on older players, raw projects or international players they think have first-round talent but need more time overseas.
They could also use their picks to move up, either as sweeteners in a big deal or as a package to get into the back end of the first round.
The Pistons’ draft picks in the second round will come from the Raptors, Hornets and Lakers, so would be 37, 49 and 54 if the draft were held today.
The Detroit Pistons are hoping that all of them will be higher by the end of the season but Troy Weaver is going to be a busy man either way, as he tries to build a culture in Detroit through the draft.
Detroit Pistons: Possible draft picks in Baylor vs. Villanova
There are three players in today’s Baylor vs. Villanova game who fit the profile of guys the Pistons might take in the second round.
All of them are tough and physical, so fit the mold of the type of players that Weaver seems to covet, as we’ve seen with the recent acquisition of Hamidou Diallo from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Both Baylor and Villanova are well-coached, physical teams that play hard-nosed defense, so the Pistons will definitely have their eye on this game.
Here are three players to watch as the draft gets closer and the Pistons start to develop their big board.
Detroit Pistons draft picks: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
The Pistons got one of the steals of the last draft when they selected Saddiq Bey with the 19th pick overall.
He should end up in the top-five of Rookie of the Year voting, so the Pistons got tremendous value for low first-round pick.
Villanova has produced several very solid NBA players over the last few years and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl will try to the next.
Robinson-Earl is a smooth forward who doesn’t have great size or athleticism but can do a little of everything well. Like most players at Villanova, he has a high basketball I.Q., is a skilled passer and can shoot from the mid-range.
He profiles as a guy whose shot will get better, so if he can add the NBA 3-point shot to his repertoire, then he could end up going higher than his late second-round projection.
His problem in the NBA will be his size and quickness, as he is a bit of a tweener who is probably too slow to defend wings and too small to body power forwards.
But he can score from all over the floor, is a good passer and if he extends his range, could be a stretch-four type in the NBA.
He’d be an interesting guy to grab with that Lakers’ pick, as he still needs to improve and might end up on a two-way or G-League contract.
Potential Pistons draft picks: Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell
Baylor is another program whose ethos is similar to that of the Detroit Pistons, as they value defense and toughness.
These two guards have both. Jared Butler is a combo guard who has drawn comparisons to the Pistons’ Frank Jackson both positively and negatively.
The positive is that he is big and strong like Jackson, can defend both guard spots and is a streaky scorer who can get buckets in bunches.
The negative is that he probably doesn’t have the handles or quickness to play point guard in the NBA, so could end up a tweener like Jackson who isn’t ideal for either position but can play both.
Butler has defensive upside, is a good leader and would be ready to play, so he could be a guy the Pistons grab with the Hornets’ pick.
His teammate Davion Mitchell is projected to go a little higher but could still fall to the Pistons with their first pick in the second round.
Mitchell is another strong, defensive minded point guard with good size who could probably defend both guard spots in the NBA.
He can also fill it up from the 3-point line, shooting 46 percent on decent volume, which should translate to the NBA right away.
He would have to slip in the draft for the Pistons to have a chance at him, but if he does, he would be a nice get, as he could potentially provide Detroit with some 3-point shooting off the bench which they desperately need.
This should be a competitive and entertaining game with several NBA prospects, so is one to watch for Pistons’ fans.