Detroit Pistons: Draft prospect Monty Williams would love

The Detroit Pistons have their new head coach in Monty Williams, now it’s time to give him some weapons to work with.

That starts in the 2023 NBA Draft, in which the Pistons will have both the 5th and 31st picks.

By hiring Williams nearly a month before the draft, it’s clear he will have some impact on who the Pistons choose.

Williams runs an offense that thrives on quick decisions and ball movement, so having players who are willing passers is a must.

He also emphasizes defense above everything else, an area in which the Detroit Pistons need vast improvement.

They could address that need in the second round with a prospect who doesn’t offer much offensively, but could be a defensive standout in the NBA.

Detroit Pistons draft: Andre Jackson Jr.

If the game of basketball were only about defense, rebounding and hustle, then Andre Jackson Jr. would be going in the first round, as he does all of those things very well.

Jackson Jr. only scored 6.7 points per game in his junior season for UCONN, but he added 6.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.1 steals and played tenacious defense all over the floor.

He’s a 6-foot-6 guard/wing with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and plus athleticism. He’s an unselfish passer who is great in transition and always looks to make the extra pass. He’s a dawg on defense and was a big part of why UCONN won the title.

The bad side is that he provides little offense outside of transition points, doesn’t shoot much and it’s often ugly when he does. He only shot 28 percent from 3-point range and his form is….well…not pretty.

You can see the total package from the hustle, rebounding and passing to the sub-par shooting in these highlights:

He has a little Matisse Thybulle vibe to him, as he’s a guy teams are going to leave open (for now) but who provides a whole lot on the boards and defensive end.

The hope is that Jackson Jr. can eventually figure out his shot, in which case he’ll be a valuable defensive weapon who can come in and change games with defense and rebounding, similar to the way Josh Hart has for the Knicks.

He’d be worth the risk of a second-round pick and could end up being the type of player that Monty Williams would love.