5 worst Detroit Pistons’ draft classes in franchise history

Detroit Pistons Henry Ellenson. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Detroit Pistons Henry Ellenson. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
3 of 5
Detroit Pistons, Sekou Doumbouya, NBA Draft
Detroit Pistons Sekou Doumbouya. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Detroit Pistons: 5 worst draft classes of all time

2019

Who they chose:

  • Sekou Doumbouya (15)
  • Isaiah Roby (45)-traded to Dallas

Who they should have chosen:

  • Literally anyone else (Matisse Thybulle, Grant Williams, Jordan Poole, Michael Porter Jr.)
  • Max Strus

Sekou Doumbouya was basically the French Henry Ellenson, and is already on the fringes of the NBA even though he is just 21-years-old. This was a draft where the Pistons could have just thrown a dart at a board of names and ended up with a better player than Sekou.

Doumbouya had a couple of moments when you thought the Pistons might have hit on their high-ceiling, low-floor choice, but Doumbouya never looked like a basketball player consistently and more often looked like a guy who might not be able to identify a basketball in a police lineup.

What makes it even worse is that there were a ton of good players taken after Doumbouya even though he was the 15th pick, so the Pistons could have a guy like Jordan Poole or Matisse Thybulle in their core.

Few players have flamed out as fast as Doumbouya, who still isn’t on a team. Detroit is hoping that Killian Hayes isn’t the next Doumbouya, though he has already been A LOT better in his young career.