The Detroit Pistons were snubbed in B/R’s top-10 young cores

The Detroit Pistons are trying to rebuild through the draft and so far it is working.

They not only snagged the number one pick, Cade Cunningham, but have two All-Rookie players in Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart to go along with 7th pick Killian Hayes. The Pistons have 11 players under the age of 25, which is why it is baffling why they were left off Bleacher Report’s top-10 young cores.

Most of the teams on this list were hard to argue against, as teams like the Hawks, Suns and Celtics have already had playoff success with their young core, and teams like the Pelicans and Grizzlies have proven high-end talent in Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.

But some of the teams at the back end of the list are suspect and I would argue the Detroit Pistons have a better young core by their own definition.

This list was comprised of guys who are under 25 before the season begins and I think the Pistons were snubbed by being left off the list.

Detroit Pistons: The Pistons’ young core is better than the Rockets or Knicks

I know you can argue this, but in my opinion, the Pistons have more talent under 25 than the Rockets or Knicks.

The Knicks’ listed were RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride. Out of those six players, only Barrett has real All Star potential and the rest look more like talented role players.

The Rockets listed were Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., KJ Martin, Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher. Green is obviously special and could win some scoring titles. I like Sengun’s versatility and Garuba’s defense but they are still unproven.

I’d take that Rockets’ core over the Knicks, as there is more potential star power and the mix of offense and defense is there.

The Detroit Pistons would have Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Hamidou Diallo, Sekou Doumbouya, Luka Garza, Killian Hayes, Josh Jackson, Saben Lee and Isaiah Livers who are all under 25 and have a nice mix of high-end potential and role players, two of which made the All-Rookie team last season.

Cunningham is the only one who projects as a superstar, but Bey and Stewart could definitely be All-Stars someday, Hayes has a high ceiling and guys like Garza and Jackson have the chance to be strong role players for years to come.

We can argue about who the best player of this group is, but I think most would agree that the Pistons have both quality and quantity when it comes to their young core.

Whether it is better than anyone on this list is debatable but Pistons’ fans should be excited about this group.