Now that the grief from falling in the draft lottery has subsided, Detroiters are getting countless mock drafts on who possibly will end up being the pick at five for the Detroit Pistons. While the exact player has varied, almost all mocks have Detroit going with one of the following: Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker, Ausar/Amen Thompson, or Taylor Hendricks. Without diving too deep into numbers and convoluted statistics on the top Pistons’ prospects, who is each draft prospect’s NBA comparison? What can Pistons fans expect each prospect to possibly pan out to become?
Let’s take a look at NBA comparisons for a few possibilities for the Pistons at five.
Pistons draft: NBA comparisons for Detroit’s likely picks
Cam Whitmore: 6-foot-7 SF Villanova
NBA Comparison: Miles Bridges
Cam Whitmore, in my opinion, is the most likely future Piston on this list. He is currently being mocked to Detroit at five in many drafts, and for good reason. Whitmore’s athleticism is beyond anyone else in this draft, not named Thompson. An elite first step towards the basket combined with top finishing skills make him a great pairing with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. His ability and willingness to backdoor cut to the hoop as Cunningham or Ivey feed him is a match made in heaven. Whitmore’s shooting has shown potential, especially his go-to step back, but he would need to continue to improve as a secondary creator.
His NBA comparison is that of Miles Bridges. Even though Miles has been out of the league for some time now while his legal issues are worked through, Bridges had elite athleticism with the Hornets. Improving each year, Bridges evolved from someone who simply throws down monster dunks to a true three- level scoring threat. The goal with Whitmore would be that his shooting improves similar to how Miles’ did, while continuing to use his athletic ability and willingness to cut to the basket. Adding a Miles Bridges level scoring wing to this roster would be more than ideal.