The 2021 NBA Draft will be one of the most important in Detroit Pistons’ history, as they have a chance to add a potential superstar to a solid foundation.
Teams like Memphis and Atlanta have shown that adding a star player to a solid roster can elevate a team into the playoffs quickly, so the Pistons are trying to follow the same timeline.
Detroit already has four promising rookies in Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Saben Lee, so adding another impact talent would give them one of the best young cores in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons are not yet in the position to draft for “fit,” so they just have to take the best player available with their lottery pick, which will fall somewhere in the top six.
That player may be Jalen Suggs, the combo guard out of Gonzaga, who proved himself to be one of the best players in the country last season while showing the potential to be a superstar at the next level.
Detroit Pistons Draft picks: Does Jalen Suggs fit with Killian Hayes?
The concern some fans have about Jalen Suggs is that the Pistons already have a young point guard in Killian Hayes.
If the Pistons do not get the number one pick overall, most fans would prefer the Pistons take Evan Mobley or Jalen Green, who both look like better “fits” on paper.
But if Troy Weaver thinks Suggs is going to be better, you can bet that he will take him regardless of concerns with roster construction.
So how would Jalen Suggs fit with current Pistons’ point guard Killian Hayes? Let’s break it down.
Detroit Pistons Draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Jalen Suggs’ fit with Killian Hayes
Some fans are concerned that Suggs and Hayes are somewhat redundant, especially on offense.
First off, you don’t pass on a guy because of “fit” when you just completed a 20-win season, so fans should worry more about talent than what position they might play.
Suggs and Hayes are both point guards who can play off the ball and both are plus playmakers, which is a good thing. There is no rule that a team can only have one playmaker and all the best teams in the NBA have more than one guy who can initiate the offense and set up their teammates, so I don’t see that as a problem.
Both Hayes and Suggs are excellent in the pick-and-roll and would give the Pistons a variety of offensive options, especially if the Pistons are able to add a couple of shooters.
They both have plus size and would be difficult for other teams to match up against on the offensive end, so I think this backcourt pairing could not only work but thrive.
The only concern would be spacing, as neither is a great 3-point shooter yet, as Hayes struggled shooting this season and Suggs was only a 33 percent 3-point shooter in college on a fairly low volume.
The Pistons are already light on shooting, but that can be fixed easily enough in the second round of the draft and free agency. Having two dynamic playmakers on the floor would make the Pistons’ offense far less predictable and would take some of the pressure off Jerami Grant to be the number one option.
Killian Hayes and Jalen Suggs are not necessarily the perfect match on offense, but would have the chance to be an elite defensive pairing.
Detroit Pistons Draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Jalen Suggs’ fit with Killian Hayes
A backcourt of Killian Hayes and Jalen Suggs would be very intriguing defensively.
Both are big and versatile defenders who can guard all three spots on the perimeter, so the Pistons would have the chance to have one of the elite defensive backcourts in the NBA.
The Pistons were already the 10th best team in the NBA when it comes to points allowed, so adding another versatile and long defender could propel them into the top five.
With Bey, Grant, Stewart, Hayes and Suggs, the Pistons would be able to switch all over the floor and would be an ideal defense for the modern game, where players are expected to defend more than one position.
It would be almost impossible to create mismatches against a team where four of the five guys can practically guard every position. All of them are good rebounders as well, which is the final step to defense, so the Pistons could build around this strength.
The offensive fit might not be there right away but the Detroit Pistons could put out one of the most versatile and smothering defensive teams right away.
With fans mostly focusing on Cunningham, Mobley and Green, Suggs has become somewhat of an afterthought for the Pistons, but if Troy Weaver thinks he is the best guy, he will be on his way to Detroit.
The fit with Hayes might not be perfect but talent wins out in the end and Suggs is a super talented guard and a proven winner.