The Detroit Pistons could use the 46th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft to bolster their big man ranks, and there are some investing players in that range.
Yesterday we looked at a skilled stretch big who profiles as a guy who will shoot 3-pointers, so today we’ll look at a big man who is holding it down for the old school center.
Detroit was probably too small this season, which 6-foot-8 Isaiah Stewart as their only real big man (until the trade for Marvin Bagley III) and they could use a guy who can grab rebounds, defend the rim and catch a lob.
Bagley III and Kelly Olynyk are offense-first bigs, so the Pistons could use a tough defender off the bench to take on some of the giant teams in the Eastern Conference.
They could grab a low-cost veteran in free agency to fill this role, land the big time free agent that would push everyone back on the depth chart, or draft a player who profiles as a 3rd center.
They need to get more than Luka Garza gave them this season and could once again turn to the second round of the draft to try and find their guy. I don’t think this is a bad strategy, as you don’t want to invest heavily in a center unless he is elite.
There is one interesting name who also happens to be the biggest and strongest man in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Detroit Pistons draft: Kofi Cockburn
If you drafted players on looks alone, then Cockburn would be going #1, as he is one of the biggest, strongest guys to come out of college in a long time.
The 7-foot, 298 lbs. center is pretty much pure muscle and looks like the kind of guy who could rip the rim off it he wanted to.
He’s a 22-year-old junior who played for a very good Illinois team this season, averaging 20.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and a block per game for the Illini.
Cockburn is one of the most interesting players in the entire draft, as he is a test case to see if an old school center will still get drafted in the NBA.
Here are his strengths and weaknesses, as well as how he might fit on the Detroit Pistons.
2022 NBA Draft: Kofi Cockburn’s strengths and weaknesses
Cockburn is projected to be taken in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, though some experts think he’ll go undrafted.
Cockburn is as big and strong as any player currently in the NBA, rebounds his position well and has some amount of back-to-the-basket game in the post, a skill most teams no longer care about unless it is just part of a more versatile offensive bag.
He can catch lobs and once he gets the ball around the rim it is over, as few players can stop him from finishing without fouling and even then it probably won’t matter, as Cockburn will just go right through it.
He got to the line 7.3 times per game this season, so is a guy who will draw (and probably commit) fouls at a high rate. He’s very mobile for his size, runs the floor fairly well and is the type of guy who probably would have been the number one pick in 1990.
But Cockburn has huge flaws, namely that he is one of the least skilled bigs in the draft, a guy who cannot shoot, has questionable hands and offers little outside of rebounding and brute force.
Yes, he gets to the line, but only hits 65 percent of them, bringing back memories of another offensively-challenged center who used to play for the Detroit Pistons.
Cockburn has to improve as a shooter, and as a perimeter defender, as NBA teams would light him up in the pick and roll if he had to switch on the outside.
If the Detroit Pistons wanted to add size and rebounding, Cockburn might get a look in the second round, as they have a need for both.
How Kofi Cockburn fits on the Detroit Pistons
I watched Cockburn quite a lot, and just kept thinking that if this guy could hit a 12-15 foot jumper he could be something in the NBA.
He currently can’t, but I also assume that Cockburn is well aware of how he is viewed by NBA scouts and will be working hard to improve his shot and his rim protection, two things that could get him into the league.
One thing to consider is that Cockburn was asked to do FAR more in college than he would be in the NBA, and there is an argument that a guy this big and athletic could be a rebounder/rim protector/rim runner if he dedicated himself to those things when he’s not being asked to be a top scoring option as he was in Illinois.
Cockburn would be the opposite approach from Luka Garza, a skilled big with no athleticism, and could provide the Pistons with something they need, which is rebounding.
Cockburn is an elite rebounding prospect and the Pistons were near the bottom of the league in the category, so he makes some sense as a 3rd center option. He’s definitely different than all of the bigs they currently have and could be one of those guys who comes in and gives you rebounding and shot blocking in short bursts.
In the end, Cockburn is probably 25 years too late to be an impact player in the NBA and will probably have to work his way through the G-League to get there. His case will be the test-market for old school type centers who are being phased out of the NBA.
For our entire second-round series, click here.