The 2021 NBA Draft can’t get here soon enough for fans of the Detroit Pistons.
It’s been several long weeks of waiting since the Pistons won the draft lottery and the right to the first overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Since then, it’s been nothing but rumors and speculation about what Detroit is going to do, with every team from the Rockets to the Thunder attached to the Pistons in a rumored trade.
In the end, I fully expect the Pistons to select Cade Cunningham, who is one of the most complete prospects in the last decade and a guy who actually wants to come to Detroit.
Recently, I wrote about some potential NBA Draft sleepers the Pistons should consider, but I’d like to take a look at the other side of that coin and identify some players the Pistons should avoid.
I am going to choose two in the lottery, as these are guys the Pistons could potentially choose if they trade back, a late first rounder and a couple of guys projected to go in the second round.
This is not a knock on these players, as it is mostly circumstantial and the draft is such a crapshoot anyway, but here are five guys I think the Pistons should stay away from in the NBA Draft.
Detroit Pistons: 2021 NBA Draft prospects to avoid, Jalen Green
First off, I love Jalen Green and think he is going to be a fantastic player, but I just think Cade Cunningham is going to be better and would be really disappointed if the Pistons didn’t end up with him after tanking for an entire season.
Green has an electric first step and should be an elite defender, but I believe Cunningham is going to elevate his teammates more and has the mental makeup to be a superstar.
Again, this is not a knock on Green, but after all of the hype and Cade Cunningham even spotted hanging out in Detroit, I’d be very disappointed if the Pistons passed on him.
Detroit Pistons: 2021 NBA Draft prospect to avoid, Jonathan Kuminga
Kuminga would only be coming to the Detroit Pistons if they decided to trade the first pick, which is extremely unlikely to happen.
Kuminga is a guy who has been consistently ranked as the 5th player in the draft’s top-five, though as the draft draws closer, guys like James Bouknight and Scottie Barnes are also getting mentioned there.
Kuminga has all of the physical tools to be a great wing, as he has size, athleticism and projects as a good defender.
But he also has difficulty shooting the ball and doesn’t have great overall skill level for a top-five guy, so whoever drafts him is taking a flyer on his overall athleticism and ideal size for a wing.
He has a lot of Andrew Wiggins qualities, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as Wiggins has developed into a very good player, I’d just hate to see the Pistons miss a shot at a generational talent for a guy who has Wiggins as a comparison.
This one is very unlikely anyway, but he’s a guy in the lottery I’d avoid. Of course, he could also become the next Kawhi Leonard, as the potential is there for him to be great.
Detroit Pistons: 2021 NBA Draft prospect to avoid, Kai Jones
Kai Jones is a guy I’ve seen mocked everywhere from the top-10 all the way to the back of the first round, so scouts don’t know what to make of him either.
He’s a great athlete who can fly out of the gym and should at least be a good shot blocker and rim runner.
If he goes in the 20’s or the beginning of the second round (unlikely) then I wouldn’t have any problem with him as a prospect.
But I am never completely sold on guys who rely heavily on athleticism as their selling point, as that eventually goes away and all NBA players are great athletes.
He reminds me too much of Jaxson Hayes, a guy who is an elite athlete for his size but can’t really do anything with the ball and can look lost on defense.
Jones projects as a guy who will eventually develop an outside shot, and if that happens, he’ll be very good. But there are a lot of ifs here, and the Pistons already have plenty of athletic guys who can’t shoot.
He’s a long shot anyway, but not a guy I would trade up to get.
Detroit Pistons: 2021 NBA Draft prospect to avoid, Makur Maker
The biggest mystery in the NBA Draft is Makur Maker, and if that name sounds familiar it’s because he is the cousin of former Piston Thon Maker, a guy we’d probably rather forget.
Makur Maker was a five star recruit who ended up going to HBCU Howard, which I thought was really cool, as he wanted to show that not all the top guys have to go to Kentucky or Duke.
He got injured early and didn’t play much, so it’s tough to say what he can be. Like his cousin, he has an impressive mix tape that makes him look like a 7-foot guard, but we saw the reality of that for Thon in the NBA, as it never really translated.
He could end up being a great player, but he could also be an injury prone guy who never has the strength or quickness to fulfill his promise as a 7-foot perimeter player.
I really hope he makes it, as I like the Maker family, but he has way too many question marks and the Detroit Pistons can probably find someone better, even in the second round.
Detroit Pistons: 2021 NBA Draft prospect to avoid, Luka Garza
Luka Garza is arguably one of the best college basketball players of the last 20 years. He holds just about every record at Iowa and several at the national level as well.
But time and time again we’ve seen that what works in college doesn’t necessarily translate to the NBA.
Nikola Jokic probably got a whole lot of slow white dudes paid after winning the MVP, as many teams are going to be looking for the next skilled big who can shoot from the perimeter.
Jokic is pretty much the exception to the rule though, and I think people underestimate just how skilled he is, as he is not just a good passer for a center, but one of the best passers in the NBA, period.
Garza isn’t, and even though he is a very smart player and a good shooter, I don’t know who he can guard in the NBA and think he’ll have a very difficult time getting his own shot.
I see him as a guy who mostly stands around and waits to shoot 3-point shots, another guy like Nicolo Melli, who dominates International play but can’t compete athletically in the NBA.
Of course, now that I’ve written this, at least one of these guys is going to blow up next season, but that’s how the NBA Draft works, it’s a crapshoot and you never know which prospects will ultimately be the busts.