Detroit Pistons 2021 NBA Draft: Who to take at each position
With a top-five pick hopefully coming to Detroit for the 2021 NBA Draft, it will be interesting to see what position the Detroit Pistons try and fill with their lottery pick.
The Pistons have more guards than they know what to do with, and Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart are blossoming into stars already in their first year.
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It seems Detroit has committed to Jerami Grant as the power forward option, and Mason Plumlee has had spurts of excellence. Given that there are no obvious holes, Detroit should select the best player available. Here’s who they should target with their pick, and how realistic each option is.
Detroit Pistons: Best draft picks at guard
Point Guard – Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga University
Suggs is a consensus top-five pick, and for good reason. The powerful guard can score and facilitate. Usually, young guards can only do one well and have to develop their other skills, but Suggs can do both already.
Suggs is an NBA-ready teenager who has improved in the tournament. All his numbers are up, which is refreshing to see since the West Coast Conference was a cakewalk for the Zags.
The Detroit Pistons should be optimistic that Suggs will be on the board when their name is called, as long as the lottery doesn’t totally screw them up. Suggs is a floor general who can provide the voice the young core needs. If Detroit is looking for yet another point guard, he’s the real deal and the clear pick.
Shooting Guard – Jalen Green, G-League Ignite
The main attraction to Jalen Green is not his athleticism, defense, scoring, versatility, or confidence. Those are all massive upsides that make him a potential superstar, but the best quality Green has is that he is already a professional basketball player.
For an entire season now, Green has been playing against grown men, many of whom have NBA experience. And he has lit them up.
His pace is incredible. He has first-step speed that allows him to blow by defenders, but he can also dance behind the arc until he gets an open look. And when he gets that look, he’s shooting 37 percent from the NBA three-point line, which is about two feet more than the college arc.
Similar to a young Ray Allen, he can compete in the dunk contest and three-point shootout, and will very soon be a headliner in the All-Star game. Green has massive potential, and even if he flames out will be a solid NBA starter for years to come.
Even if Cunningham is on the board, take Green over him. Cunningham dominated defenses, but it was in the Big 12, which is not a defensive-minded conference in any sport. Green is a pro, and his extra experience gives more insight into the player he will become than a year of college ball can give.