The Detroit Pistons had one of their best NBA Drafts in recent memory, getting Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey and Saben Lee, who all contributed this season and look like future pieces of the roster.
Saddiq Bey was particularly impressive and ended up being one of the steals of the draft after being chosen with the 19th pick.
Bey set several rookie records for 3-point shooting, played great perimeter defense and is a guy that a whole lot of teams wish they had drafted.
But the Pistons were the ones lucky or smart enough to get him, which was a big win for Troy Weaver considering where he was choosing in the first round.
But there have been a surprising number of 19th picks who ended up being quality NBA players, so where does Saddiq Bey rank?
I took a look at the last 10 years of drafts to see where Saddiq Bey stands. The list of players runs from the unknown to guys who are key pieces of title contenders.
Detroit Pistons: Ranking Saddiq Bey among recent 19th picks
The first four guys have all flamed out of the league already or probably will soon enough. It’s safe to say that Saddiq Bey is already better than any of these guys ever were or ever will be.
No. 10-Sergey Karasev 2013
Karasev played parts of three seasons with the Cavaliers and Nets before flaming out of the league. He is now playing in the Russian league and trying to earn his way back into the NBA.
No. 9- Luka Samanic 2019
Samanic is still on the Spurs after being drafted 19th in 2019, but he has yet to make an impact. He has started a few games but has spent most of his career in the G-League so far.
No. 8- Andrew Nicholson 2012
Nicholson was drafted 19th in 2012 and played until 2017. He actually had a pretty good rookie season for the Magic before bouncing around the league for a few years and eventually ending up in China.
No. 7- Jerian Grant 2015
You might recognize Jerian Grant as the brother of Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons. He played for a few years for the Knicks and Bulls before eventually ending up in Greece.
Detroit Pistons: Ranking Saddiq Bey among recent 19th picks
The next two guys have been solid contributors on good teams but don’t project to be much more than role players in their careers.
No. 6- Gary Harris 2014
Harris is a solid bench guard and had a couple of really good seasons for the Nuggets, including one where he scored more than 17 points per game.
His role was gradually reduced in Denver and he was traded to the Magic as part of the Aaron Gordon trade.
Harris a good backup shooting guard who has shown he can be a double-digit scorer for a good team.
No. 5- Kevin Huerter 2018
Huerter is currently playing for the Atlanta Hawks who are one game away from moving to the second round of the playoffs. Huerter is a good offensive player who can shoot the 3-ball but he doesn’t do a whole lot else.
He can definitely be a top bench scorer on a good team, though he has started a lot of games for the Hawks this season as well.
Huerter has upside as a 3-point shooter but he shot worse than Saddiq Bey did this season for the Detroit Pistons and did it on fewer attempts.
Detroit Pistons: Ranking Saddiq Bey among recent 19th picks
No. 4- Saddiq Bey 2020
Even though Bey has only played one season in the league, he has already shown himself to be a better shooter than either Harris or Huerter and he is also a better defender, so I am comfortable putting him 4th.
In fact, Bey could easily move up this list, as the three guys ahead of him aren’t necessarily more talented but have just been in the league longer.
Bey averaged 12.2 points and 4.5 rebounds as a rookie while shooting 38 percent on 6.6 three-point attempts per game, shooting numbers that put him in an elite category.
No. 3- Malik Beasley 2016
Beasley is another hit for the Denver Nuggets with the 19th pick, though they gave up on him too soon. Beasley was shipped out in a four-team deal that brought the Nuggets back Gerald Green and a first-round pick.
Beasley has since gone on to evolve into a 20 point per game scorer and one of the best volume 3-point shooters in the league, hitting 40 percent of his long-range shots on over eight attempts per game.
Bey is going to be a better defender, so if he can pick up his scoring, he will surpass Beasley on this list at some point.
Detroit Pistons: Ranking Saddiq Bey among recent 19th picks
No. 2- John Collins 2017
Collins had a fantastic season for the Hawks and is a big reason why they are in the NBA Playoffs. Collins averaged 17.6 points and 7.4 rebounds this season, numbers that are actually down from his impressive 21 points, 10 rebounds per game from last season.
Collins is going to be a restricted free agent this summer and there is likely to be a bidding war for his services, as he is one of the most talented under-25 players in the league.
No. 1- Tobias Harris 2011
The best player on the list of top 19th picks from the last decade also happens to be the oldest player on the list. Fans of the Detroit Pistons are well familiar with Tobias Harris, as he played well in the Motor City before being included in the disastrous Blake Griffin trade, which looks even worse now considering Harris is one of the best players on a title contender and Griffin is more or less washed.
Harris averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds and has been one of the most consistent scoring wings in the NBA during his career, averaging 16.3 points overall.
Could Saddiq Bey eventually pass the three players on the list ahead of him? I think so but we’ll have to see how his game evolves.