That the Detroit Pistons need shooters is not a secret and they might not have to look far for some help. Isaiah Livers was a great three-point shooter for the Michigan Wolverines, and he might slip through the cracks of the NBA Draft due to injury.
If the phrase ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ is true when it comes to the draft, the Detroit Pistons might be able to get Michigan’s Isaiah Livers with one of their later second-round picks (they have three total).
Livers has never played basketball outside of the state of Michigan. He played in high school for Kalamazoo Central, where he was voted Mr. Michigan Basketball.
Livers was a standout shooter for the Wolverines this past season. He suffered a stress injury to his right foot in the Big 10 quarterfinals and was out for the rest of the post-season. Michigan still reached the Elite Eight, but Go Blue fans will always wonder how far they would have gone with a healthy Livers.
Even though the 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward was a senior, he could have returned for another year to Ann Arbor. But on April 16th, Livers declared for the NBA Draft.
What does Isaiah Livers bring to an NBA team?
Livers can shoot from three-point range, really, really well.
That is a skill even more important in the NBA than college. He made 43.1 percent of his attempts from three his senior year, and made 41.2 percent of his shots from beyond the arc in four years with the Wolverines.
Livers averaged 13.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists a game for Michigan last season. The Wolverines were a deep and talented squad, so no one was going to be able to pile up eye-popping stats.
He is also a leader, being a team captain at Michigan.
Although he could not play in the recent NBA Combine held in Chicago due to his injury (he had surgery on April 6 and hopes to be ready to play by September), Livers did attend. He told the media there what he thinks he would bring to an NBA team, via 247 Sports.
"“First of all, I’m a long-term thinker,” Livers said. “I’m not really thinking about short-term. Being drafted is a priority, but playing in the league is my main priority. So definitely just getting on the court my first year, because I know I can affect the game with winning (basketball). Whatever coach wants me to do, I can do it. Be a shooter, I can be a shooter, I can create. It’s all about getting trust with the coach first. I’m going to come in and play my minutes as hard as I can, then get more minutes the next game hopefully.”"
Livers is known as a gritty, tough player with a high motor, the exact kind of characteristics that Pistons general manager Troy Weaver likes in a player.
The fact Livers has four years of college and turns 23 before the start of the NBA season means he will be able to contribute faster than some raw 18/19-year-old, who gets taken for potential.
He does not have a major weakness, but, outside of shooting (and he is not bad at driving to the basket), he does not have another great skill, which is why he will go in the second round.
And, despite the injury, it looks like Livers will be drafted. Almost every mock draft has Livers going somewhere in the second round. Hoops Hype’s aggregate of all drafts has Livers going at No. 57.
How does Isaiah Livers fit with the Detroit Pistons?
Of course, Detroit has inside information on Livers, as John Beilein, who coached him his first two seasons at Michigan, is now a Senior Advisor in Player Development for the Pistons.
Despite having some standout three-point shooters in Wayne Ellington and Saddiq Bey, the Pistons were a below average team (20th out of 30) shooting three-pointers. Ellington is also a free agent, so Detroit is looking for shooters even more.
With his size and bulk, Livers could play either the small or power forward positions. That flexibility will help, as the Pistons will need shooting when starting forwards Jerami Grant and Saddiq Bey need a break.
As a high character shooter with a high motor, Livers fits in very well with the Pistons. (We say this, admittedly, without the key information of whether Livers makes his bed in the morning)
Also, a consideration might also be made that the Pistons are starting their own G-League team, the Motor City Cruise, at Wayne State.Livers, particularly coming off an injury, probably will start his career playing a lot in the G-League. Having a local college name playing might help with attendance..
Isaiah Livers has a skill that the Detroit Pistons could use. The fact he can not work out for any teams due to the injury, might cause him to slip in the draft. With his former college coach Beilein part of the Pistons coaching staff, they will not forget about him.
Livers could end up being a real sleeper pick for the Pistons.