Pistons draft: Possible defensive steal of the 2023 NBA Draft

The Detroit Pistons have the 5th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but they also have the 31st, a spot where they could find value.

Second-round prospects often have raw skills or glaring weaknesses, but the Pistons could be able to find some help for their porous wing defense, as the New Orleans Pelicans did two years ago when they drafted offensively-challenged Herb Jones in the second round.

Jones has already emerged as one of the best wing defenders in the NBA, and is a player who will undoubtedly make some All-Defensive teams in his career.

The Detroit Pistons would love to find a similar type player in the second round of this draft, as their defense ranked near the bottom of the league and their only current starting-level wing (Bojan Bogdanovic) was one of the worst individual defenders at the position.

This year’s Herb Jones could be Jordan Walsh, a freshman wing out of Arkansas who could end up being one of the best defenders in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Detroit Pistons draft: Jordan Walsh

If you just looked at Jordan Walsh’s raw stats, you wouldn’t think much of him, as he only averaged 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds on mediocre shooting splits. He only hit 27.8 percent of his 3-point shots on two attempts per game, so Walsh is not going to make the NBA because of his offense.

What could get them there is his defense, as the 6-foot-6 wing has a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan and really knows how to use it. In these highlights, you can see how good he is at moving his feet and then using his length to switch all over the perimeter.

Walsh can be a lockdown defender at four positions and is the type of versatile, switchable forward that teams have leaned on in the playoffs this season.

Walsh is reminiscent of Herb Jones in his ability to disrupt dribblers and passing lanes while seemingly defending the entire perimeter. Also like Jones, he’ll need big work on his shooting before he is ready for a full-time spot in an NBA rotation.

Walsh was a 2022 McDonald’s All-American and has plus athleticism to say the least, so this guy has the profile of a first-round pick, and could be a steal if he drops to the second. He’s got big-time upside, but at the very least will be a lockdown defender for someone. If he can figure the “3” of the 3-and-D equation out, he’ll be one of the steals of the draft.