The Detroit Pistons have four picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, including the first overall and three in the second round.
The Pistons are very likely to use pick #1 on Cade Cunningham, and they should, as he has superstar potential on both ends and is one of the most complete prospects in some time.
But after that the Pistons have a ton of options. They likely won’t have three roster spots for additional second rounders and most of those guys don’t make the league anyway, so they could try to package them to move up in the draft, or just trade them for picks in a future draft.
But the G-League has given teams another place to stash prospects, so if the Pistons found three guys they really liked, it’s possible they could just use these picks, especially if one of them was on an international prospect that they could stash overseas.
I don’t think the Detroit Pistons will end up using all of these picks, but if they were going to, this is the NBA Draft to do it.
Detroit Pistons: This is one of the deepest NBA Drafts in years
The Detroit Pistons were one of the big winners from the 2020 NBA Draft, as they were able to get Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey with the 16th and 19th picks and both made the All-Rookie team.
But to be honest, it was not a very deep draft and if you look at the top-15 players there are at least six who were barely able to get minutes on their respective teams. If the 2020 NBA Draft were done again, Bey and Stewart would go much higher, but they still project as quality role players rather than stars.
This year’s draft is projected to be much deeper, and there will almost undoubtedly still be some impact players in the late first and second round.
So let’s pretend for a minute that the Detroit Pistons will use all three of their picks. Here is a mock draft of the Pistons’ second-round picks, which are #37, 42 and 52 in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Detroit Pistons draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Marcus Bagley
If the Detroit Pistons were to use any of these picks, it is most likely to be this one, as there could still be some very talented players in this range.
Marcus Bagley represents a high-ceiling option who didn’t get much of a chance to show what he can do in college after missing most of the season with injury.
He only played 12 games at Arizona State University but the 6-foot-7 wing showed flashes that he can be an NBA talent. His brother Marvin is already in the league, and though the two are very different players, they both have the NBA genes.
There are two things I love about Bagley, the first is that he has a huge wingspan that should allow him to guard a couple of spots on the perimeter.
The second is that he shot a high volume from 3-point range (6 per game) and though he only hit 34.7 percent of them, he showed good form and profiles as a guy who will be able to knock them down in the NBA.
We know the Detroit Pistons need shooting, so Bagley is not only a raw and talented prospect, but one who could eventually fill a need.
His draft stock might be low because he missed so many games, but Bagley has first-round talent and you might as well take a risk on potential in the second round.
Detroit Pistons draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Nah’shon Hyland
Nah’shon Hyland is one of my favorite second round prospects in this year’s NBA Draft for a couple of reasons.
The first is that he has a cool nickname and there aren’t enough of those in the NBA in my opinion. Bones Hyland would fit right in with Beef Stew and give the Pistons two of the premier nicknames in the league.
But really what I love is his shooting. Hyland can flat out shoot the rock, as he shot 37 percent on 7.8 attempts per game for VCU and showed crazy range in the Chicago Combine. Here he is filling it up from 30+ feet.
Bones Hyland pro day. Shot 15-of-18 here from 30+ feet out. pic.twitter.com/lPu55cELFm
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) June 28, 2021
The 6-foot-3 shooting guard also has a 6-foot-9 wingspan and averaged nearly two steals per game, so he can defend as well as shoot.
I don’t know if Hyland will end up falling this far after his impressive pro day, but he’s a guy who fits right in with what Troy Weaver seems to like, while also filling a potential need for a shooter off the bench.
Detroit Pistons draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Joe Wieskamp
Picks this late in the NBA Draft rarely make a roster in their first season, but Joe Wieskamp may buck that trend, as he has one NBA-ready skill which is shooting.
He is one of the best pure shooters in this draft, knocking down over 46 percent on 5 attempts per game last season.
Wisekamp is not the quickest, nor does he profile as a guy who is going to be able to defend in the NBA, but the 6-foot-7 wing does have a 6-foot-11 wingspan, which should help him make up for his lack of lateral quickness.
He did grab 6.6 rebounds per game this season for Iowa, so he is not afraid to mix it up, but if Wisekamp gets drafted it will be because of his shooting, as every team is looking for the next Duncan Robinson, an impact shooter who gets drafted late or not at all.
Second-round picks are pretty much a crapshoot, so the Detroit Pistons may as well go for a guy who at least has one NBA skill to build upon.
It’s very unlikely that the Detroit Pistons use all of their second-round picks, but if they could grab a guy with first round potential like Bagley or a long shooter, I’d be pretty happy.