Detroit Pistons: 5 best options for pick No. 1
Option No. 4: Jalen Green brings scoring to Detroit Pistons
Strictly based on need, Jalen Green would be the perfect fit for the Detroit Pistons. Think of Detroit legend George Gervin, he is of that body type and game.
An explosive, super-athletic wing, the 6-foot-6 Green averaged 17.9 points for the Ignite team in the G-League this past season.
He fits like a glove next to Killian Hayes in the backcourt.
In the current NBA, having a high-scoring wing seems to be the main ingredient for success: the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday of Milwaukee are all key players in their team’s making it to their respective conference finals.
Green would serve that role with the Pistons.
Unlike many others (except Cunningham) projected in the top 5, Green is a decent outside shooter, making 36.5 percent of his threes for the Ignite.
Green can use his amazing athleticism to score on the fast break or simply drive past a defender off the dribble. He would be lethal in the pick-and-roll with someone like Mason Plumlee, who knows how to set rock-solid picks.
He does not turn 20-years-old until next February, and GM Troy Weaver does like to get his hands on players when they are young, so he and coach Dwane Casey can teach them good habits.
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As with most young players (except Cunningham), Green is not a polished product.
He weighs only about 180 pounds, so he can be taken advantage of on the defensive end. He also did not have a great assist-to-turnover ratio in the G-League. He is not a Trae Young, who will get you 30 points but also 10 assists in a game.
However, Green can score and, if you watched the Pistons during the season, outside of Jerami Grant and, when he was hot, Wayne Ellington, no one else really did.
The Pistons were 26th in scoring last year. Defense and all the intangibles are nice, but the winner of the game, is the team that scores the most points.
If Cade Cunningham does not knock Troy Weaver’s socks off at his workout, and Green look like the next George Gervin, based on merit, Detroit could select Green with the first pick.
If Weaver decided Green is better, or equal, to Cunningham, maybe he cadges an extra pick and player out of Houston, which goes second. Cunningham is a native of Texas, so he would be a very popular choice with a fanbase not too thrilled with the way current Rockets management has been running things.
Odds of occurring: 25/1