The Detroit Pistons will choose 5th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft but also have the 46th pick in the second round.
The second round is a place to look for high-ceiling but unpolished talent or to grab an upperclassman who might have one elite skill but plenty of glaring flaws.
The Detroit Pistons did well in the second round last year, finding Isaiah Livers who looks like a future rotation player, and they hope to do the same this year.
The second round seems to get deeper with talent every season and the Detroit Pistons might be able to find a high-ceiling guy in the middle of the round.
The Duke Blue Devils were loaded with talent this year and have several guys who are going to go in the first round, and one who might drop to the Detroit Pistons in the second.
Pistons draft: Trevor Keels’ strengths and weaknesses
Trevor Keels is a 6-foot-4, 224 lbs. combo guard from Duke who averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in his freshman season.
His shooting splits are not going to jump out (for good reasons anyway), though he did hit 52 percent of his 2-point shots. He only shot 31 percent from long range, but this was a guy who was considered one of the best shooters in his high school class.
Keels is also just 18-years-old, so there is plenty of room for growth. He is already a big, strong guard who can defend several spots and rebounds his position well. He can also score on smaller guards in the post and has a high motor on defense, where he has active hands and uses his strength to keep guys in front of him.
Keels doesn’t have blazing speed, but can handle the ball and be the primary playmaker at times as he was at Duke.
He’s one of those guys who doesn’t have an elite skill or a glaring weakness, and would probably be going in the first round if he were a little taller or quicker, as NBA teams might see him as a tweener without a real position.
2022 NBA Draft: How Trevor Keels fits on the Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons need a lot more from their two-guard position, as Cory Joseph is clearly not the long-term answer.
Detroit could also walk away from Frank Jackson, who regressed this season and is a similar player to Keels, who probably has more upside at just 18-years-old and would be a lot cheaper.
If the Pistons do decide to let Jackson walk, then grabbing another combo guard with shooting upside makes sense, as the Detroit Pistons need guys who can score coming off their bench and currently don’t really have any.
What I like about Keels is that he already has an NBA frame and is one of the youngest players in the draft, so he has upside and may have been able to show more if he hadn’t been on such a talented team this season where other guys were getting most of the shine and shots.
Grabbing blue-chip talent in the second round is a great way for the Detroit Pistons to find this year’s sleeper.