Why the Detroit Pistons should pass on Kofi Cockburn

Last season, the Detroit Pistons took a jab at All-American center Luka Garza in the second round, which was a pick I initially loved. As a non-athletic, but highly skilled big man on the offensive side of the ball, it was a big swing for the organization, but it has gone pretty much as expected.

Garza is lit up the G-League, despite a significant drop in three-point production. But his dominant game has not translated to the NBA yet, and I’m worried it never will. Illinois center and standout Kofi Cockburn could have similar issues, which is weird considering the two players are complete opposites.

Detroit Pistons draft: Just say no to one-dimensional centers

Garza was elite in college due to his size, court vision, ball handling, and ability to knock shots down from anywhere using his craftiness. Cockburn is a stay in the paint, 1990s center who can put up big numbers close to the hoop and protect the rim but can’t reliably do anything outside of the paint on either side of the ball.

With the 46th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, fans will probably be salivating over Cockburn based solely on his physique and college mixtape, both of which are impressive. But Cockburn is a relic of the NBA past, and there is no guarantee that he will have any success in the league.

Granted, in the second round teams should be taking riskier picks with high upside, and Cockburn fits the bill. At best, he could be a Rudy Gobert-type player with a Joel Embiid-level physique, but at worst he will wash out within 18 months.

It would be reasonable to guess he might have a similar career to Enes Kanter Freedom, who played a similar type of game as Cockburn. In the second round, a Freedom-type player would be an excellent pickup, but even that might be a stretch.

Based on how the development of Luka Garza stagnated this season, it would be odd for the Detroit Pistons to take a player in the same boat who plays the same position.

Garza is better suited for today’s NBA, despite his physical limitations, so it makes more sense to continue to develop him, and use the second-round pick on a player who has less competition on the current roster. The upside is definitely there, but based on the recent past the  Detroit Pistons could look elsewhere and still find a player who could make an impact.