2022 NBA Draft: Top 5 Pistons prospects all a fit with Cade Cunningham

The Detroit Pistons have the 5th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and their primary objective will be to find a long-term piece to play with Cade Cunningham and their young core.

The good news is that Cade Cunningham is the kind of versatile player who fits with just about anyone, so the Pistons can just take the best guy and don’t have to worry about fit.

Fans were disappointed when the Pistons fell out of the top-3, but there are still some very good players and this is a draft where the best player could easily fall out of that group.

Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero will likely be off the board, but the next five guys are are also high-ceiling prospects who happen to fill big needs for the Detroit Pistons.

2022 NBA Draft: Pistons prospects and how they fit with Cade Cunningham

Jaden Ivey

Ivey is a guard out of Purdue with an electric first step and as much end-to-end speed as anyone in the 2022 NBA Draft. He’s not a great shooter yet but he thrives on and off the ball and could be the secondary playmaker and scoring option that the Pistons need. Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey would give the Pistons their backcourt of the present and future.

Shaedon Sharpe

Sharpe is a bit of a mystery and is probably has the biggest bust/star potential in the top-5 given the fact that no one has seen him play recently. He’s got all of the physical tools to be a wing slasher who can shoot 3-pointers and finish at the rim with his insane vertical leap. Like Ivey, Sharpe could slide right into the starting two-guard role, giving the Pistons a huge backcourt with two guys who can switch all over the perimeter defensively. Sharpe is a risky pick, as he is just 18-years-old, but Troy Weaver won’t hesitate to pull the trigger if he thinks Sharpe has the highest ceiling.

Keegan Murray

Murray is on the opposite end of the age spectrum, as he will be nearly 22-years-old on draft day, which has given some the perception that his ceiling isn’t as high. That’s for Troy Weaver to decide, but it’s hard to ignore Murray’s college numbers, his defensive potential and the fact that he shot nearly 40 percent from 3-point range. Keegan Murray is a guy who is an efficient scorer from all three levels (something the Pistons need) and would give Cade Cunningham another kick-out option as well as a weapon in transition. Murray may be the most ready to contribute right away and he does have the feel of a Weaver guy. But I have a feeling a lot of Pistons’ fans would be disappointed if Detroit takes him at five unless they end up with another pick. I trust Troy will only choose Murray if he thinks he’s the best player but he is a fit with Cade Cunningham.

AJ Griffin

Griffin is not a name I’ve heard attached to the Detroit Pistons much, but he’s ranked in the top 5-8 players on most draft boards. Griffin offers potential elite 3-point shooting, which is not only a Pistons’ need but a skillset that will help unlock Cade even more. Cunningham was forced into double and triple teams in the mid-range and post a lot of the time because he had little spacing around him. Griffin is a 6-foot-6 wing who shot nearly 45 percent from 3-point range, so he could be the space-creator that Cade needs.

Bennedict Mathurin

Another 6-foot-6 shooting guard, Bennedict Mathurin is probably a lesser shooting prospect than Griffin but is a better defender and more athletic. The Pistons are likely to walk away from the 2022 NBA Draft with Murray or one of these guards, and Mathurin is another great fit with Cunningham, as a guy who can defend all over the perimeter, shoot the 3-ball and finish in transition.

This is why I am not sweating the 2022 NBA Draft nearly as much as I was last year, the Detroit Pistons already got their guy and he’s a player who will be easy to build around. Troy Weaver has found three All-Rookie players in the last two drafts, so I am certain he will not only get an impact player, but that he’ll be a long-term fit with Cade Cunningham.