Detroit Pistons: Steal or bust? 5 controversial 2021 NBA Draft prospects

Detroit Pistons: NBA Draft prospect, Luka Garza

There is no more controversial NBA Draft prospect than Luka Garza, the NCAA Player of the Year.

He is the classic case of the great college player whose game might not translate to the next level, though there are some things working in his favor.

Nicola Jokic is one of the frontrunners for MVP along with Joel Embiid, showing that centers still have value in the modern NBA, especially if they can do a lot of things and step away from the rim to shoot.

Garza is big and crafty but slow as a house, but you could say the exact same thing about Jokic, who is a basically a seven-foot point guard who has figured out how to use his size on offense without getting killed on defense.

Garza could be a stretch-five, as he can shoot and his playmaking isn’t terrible, but the question is whether he’ll be able to defend.

Will teams just pick-and-roll him to death? Will he be able to switch on perimeter players? He might be able to score in the NBA but who is he going to guard?

I have my doubts.

If Garza were to drop all the way to the Pistons final pick, which will probably be in the low 50’s, then he’d be worth a shot.

Will some team reach and take Garza in the first round? Will he be drafted at all? There is no one with more “steal” or “bust” potential than him.

Verdict: Bust