Who are the top-5 on the Detroit Pistons 2022 NBA Draft big board?
Detroit Pistons 2022 NBA Draft big board #4: Jalen Duren
It’s pretty clear that the Pistons could use another big man, as they currently have just Isaiah Stewart and Kelly Olynyk, neither of which have great size.
Stewart has shown he can defend centers, so I am not worried about him there, but Detroit still needs more size, another rim protector and a guy who can catch a lob.
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Enter Jalen Duren of Memphis, who is one of the best all-around defensive prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft. Duren averages 3.6 blocks and 1.1 steals so far this year.
He’s not much of a scorer yet, but he has good hands and can eat around the rim. If the Pistons wanted to lean into defense, they could do worse than adding Duren, who would give them the kind of big they currently lack.
#3: Chet Holmgren
Count me as one of the people who is not completely sold on Chet Holmgren just yet. Yes, he does have a bag of tantalizing skills for a guy his size and he would fill some Pistons’ needs as a shot blocker and guy who can knock down a 3-point shot.
I do worry about his strength, as he is as skinny a prospect as I’ve ever seen and I wonder who he is going to defend in the NBA. He will undoubtedly be a great weak side shot blocker off the ball, but are centers going to throw him around? Can he stay in front of NBA power forwards?
He has some question marks for sure, but he also has the potential to be the prototype for modern centers, as he is a legit 7-footer who can do just about everything offensively and has great instincts for blocking shots.