NBA Draft: Could Caleb Houstan be second Michigan player drafted by Pistons in a row?

One mock draft has the Detroit Pistons taking Michigan forward Caleb Houstan in the second round. It would be the second year in a row they took a Wolverine in that round.

Since Isaiah Livers looked pretty good in the brief time he played at the end of the season, the Pistons might decide to go after another University of Michigan product in the second round.

In a mock draft by the Bleacher Reports’ Jonathan Wasserman, who is usually pretty accurate in his talent assessments, he has Detroit taking Michigan forward Caleb Houstan with the No. 46 overall pick in the second round.

Houstan, who played one season for the Wolverines, has until June 1 to remove himself from draft consideration, but most people think he will stay in the draft pool.

Houstan is a lot different prospect than Livers. First, he is coming out after one year, while Livers spent four years with the Wolverines. He also did not get the awards in college that Livers received.

The 6-foot-8 forward started all 34 games. Houstan averaged 10.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and shot 35.5% percent on three-pointers. Nice numbers, but nothing that jumps out at you.

Unlike Livers, Houstan is being drafted more on potential.

He was the ranked the sixth best recruit in the Class of 2021 according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index. Although a native of Canada, Houstan played his senior year of high school at Montverde Academy in Florida (where Cade Cunningham also went).

Mystery surrounds Caleb Houstan. Did Detroit Pistons promise?

That Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith Jr. did not participate in the recently completed NBA Draft Combine is not surprising. They are rated to be among the first few players selected, they could only hurt their draft standing by playing.

However, the fact that Houstan skipped the combine is a bit of a head-scratcher. He is projected as going, at the very earliest, in the 20s and could fall (as Wasserman has projected) into the mid-40s.

A good showing at the combine might have vaulted Houstan into becoming a lock in the late first-round, but he did not go.

The chit-chat in Chicago was that, maybe, Houstan received a promise from an organization, that they would draft him if he was available when they selected. If Houstan liked the destination, no need to risk injury, or looking bad, by going to the combine.

While there is no word that the Pistons are the team that might have promised Houstan (latest rumor is that it was the Thunder), Detroit would not be a bad landing spot for him.

Coach Dwane Casey is good at improving the skills of his young players, and Houstan has a lot still to work on (he had more turnovers than assists in his year at Michigan). There would be no pressure for him to succeed immediately and he would be given time to grow.

And, when Houstan shows he could contribute in an NBA game, there is playing time available. When you are coming off a 23-59 season, there is plenty of opportunities if a player shows well enough.

In a draft where no one is even sure who the No. 1 pick is, getting a promise might be enough incentive to sit things out and wait for the actual draft on June 23.

Caleb Houstan would give Detroit a young player with a decent outside shot. Those types are always welcome, particularly on a Pistons team in which three-point shooting was not a strength last season.

Where Houstan ends up being drafted will be one of those things you will not know until the actual draft. At least one person believes that place will be the Pistons.