Detroit Pistons NBA Draft: Grades for every Pistons’ pick

Detroit Pistons NBA Draft grades: Pick No. 57- Balsa Koprivica

I have to say, I really didn’t expect the Detroit Pistons to draft two big slow dudes in the second round but here we are.

Koprivica is a 7-foot-1 center out of Florida State, who wasn’t projected by most draft experts to be picked at all, so this was somewhat surprising, though anything can happen when we are talking about one of the final picks in the NBA Draft.

Koprivica is massive and has nice touch around the rim, and is a pretty good passer for his size. Though he doesn’t have the athleticism of Plumlee, he does have a similar skillset.

He’s a good rim protector who should be able to block some shots, but the real question is whether he’ll be able to switch on the perimeter, something that most centers need to be able to do in the modern game.

He was also a former high school teammate of Cade Cunningham, so the two should be familiar with each other and should have some chemistry.

The Detroit Pistons took another flyer on a big here, and at this point in the NBA Draft I’m going to trust Troy Weaver knows more than me. If Koprivica becomes a cheap replacement for Plumlee then this pick will get a much higher grade, but either way, he fills an immediate need.

Overall it was a solid NBA Draft for the Detroit Pistons, who got the best player, a forward who can shoot and took a flyer on two high-upside big men.