Pistons draft: 2nd-round prospect from Michigan State

The Detroit Pistons will have a top-7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft but they will also have a pick in the middle of the second round.

The Pistons did well there last season, grabbing Isaiah Livers, who looks like he will be part of the future rotation.

This draft doesn’t have the number of projected stars as last year, but the drop off from the late first to the second round shouldn’t be very big and there are a ton of interesting guys in that range.

One of them is Max Christie, a freshman shooting guard from just down the road in Michigan State.

He’s an intriguing player and a guy the Detroit Pistons could take a flyer on, as he has potential first-round talent but could drop in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Pistons draft: Max Christie’s strengths and weaknesses

So far, most of Christie’s immense potential is theoretical or has come in short flashes, as he averaged just 9.3 points and 3.5 rebounds last season for the Spartans as a freshman.

He’ll be barely 19 at the time of the draft, so profiles as a guy who will need some seasoning in the G-League if he does decide to stay in the 2022 NBA Draft. He has already declared, but has not hired an agent, so he could still return to Michigan State for his sophomore season.

He projects as a scorer who can thrive in the mid-range and should develop a 3-point shot at some point, though he only shot 31 percent from long range this season. He did shoot 82.4 percent from the line, which usually translates into better 3-point shooting down the road.

He’s shifty in space, and even though he is not an elite athlete, he has good size at 6-foot-6, and knows how to get to his spots for pull-ups, which are his specialty.

He’s got good length but definitely needs to put on some strength to be able to defend in the NBA. He’s a high-ceiling guy who could end up dropping to the mid-second round.

2022 NBA Draft: Max Christie’s fit on the Detroit Pistons

Christie will be one of the youngest players in the 2022 NBA Draft, so he is not a guy who is going to come into the league and play right away.

If the Detroit Pistons chose him, it would be as a developmental project who would probably start the season in the G-League and play most of it there.

But he’s one of those guys who might go in the first round if he stayed in college another year, so the Detroit Pistons would potentially be getting value by taking him in this draft even if he is not ready to play.

He would eventually be a fit as a guy with good height who can be a scorer around Cade Cunningham, spread the floor and work out of the high pick-and-roll.

Michigan State fans: What do you think of Christie? Do you think he would be a good fit with the Detroit Pistons if they decided to go local in the second round?

For our entire second-round series, please click here.