Detroit Pistons: Un-drafted free agent ranked as one of the best

When the Detroit Pistons added Syracuse sharpshooter Buddy Boeheim to the roster after signing him to a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent, many people looked at the move as a low-risk, moderate-reward pickup for the organization. Boeheim will probably not develop into a Klay Thompson or Kyle Korver-level player, but he could be a productive bench piece on a loaded team.

Bleacher Report took notice of the Pistons making the addition, ranking Boeheim 20th on their list of best undrafted free agents.

It isn’t exactly a great rating, but keeping in mind the low cost of adding him, it’s worth pointing out that Buddy is an elite, high-confidence level scorer and he has no problem shooting off the dribble or acting as a catch-and-shoot scorer.

The move to the NBA is challenging for anyone, but he will certainly spend time in the G-League, which should be needed because at this level he will not have the green light he had under his old man, legendary coach Jim Boeheim.

The Pistons need a lot of help in the shot-making department. Saddiq Bey and Cade Cunningham are excellent shooters from deep and should be better this season, but Duren, Ivey, Bagley, Stewart, and Hayes are not. If the Bleacher Report prediction is right, Boeheim could work his way up to be an off-the-bench scorer who could make a larger than expected impact early on.

It also should be noted that Boeheim should not have much trouble defending at the NBA level. He  has good size and possesses the lateral speed to defend well at the NBA level, and his weight and strength should be his only concerns. After a summer on an NBA diet and conditioning program, those issues should be addressed and solved.

The downside to him not panning out is minimal, as he was a low investment signing for Troy Weaver, although it looks like there are believers in Buddy. The potential and upside is there, it’s just a matter of tapping into it.

The Detroit Pistons’ Summer League schedule tips off at midnight, and we’ll get a first look at Boeheim, as well as several other lesser known guys.