Deni Avdija had an incredible postseason debut for the Blazers with 41 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists to secure the West’s 7 seed on Tuesday night. The performance stings for Pistons fans, who may remember that their team had a chance to draft him in 2020 but went with Killian Hayes instead. Avdija’s performance could hurt the Pistons in the present, but also brings back bad memories of Hayes’ Detroit tenure.
The Pistons should’ve taken Avdija instead of Hayes
In the 2020 NBA Draft, the Pistons took Killian Hayes 7th overall. Just a couple picks later, the Wizards took Deni Avdija at 9. In hindsight, Avdija would’ve clearly been the better pick - but it should’ve been obvious in the moment too.
Avdija was praised before the draft for his versatile skillset as a 6’8” forward. He’s now established himself as a star forward, something the Pistons are still seeking to complete their long-term rotation. Avdija’s aggression and competitiveness were standout qualities during his pre-draft evaluations.
For Hayes, the opposite should’ve been true. His lack of scoring aggression was always bound to doom his NBA career if not fixed. Even now, the Pistons sometimes feel the pain of not having an aggressive scoring guard next to Cade Cunningham but it all started with Hayes. For all of Hayes’ skills as a playmaker and defender, he was never going to make a huge impact if he wasn’t a scoring threat.
Deni Avdija wouldn’t have halted the rebuild
Whenever Pistons fans lament on the Hayes pick, we have to remember that Cade Cunningham was selected first overall the next year. So any pick in 2020 that could disrupt that outcome would be a net negative in the long run. However, Avdija wouldn’t have hurt the tank because he wasn’t hugely impactful in his first few seasons.
In his rookie year, Avdija averaged just 6 points and 5 rebounds per game for the Wizards. His progression has only picked up in the last few years, which would’ve been perfectly in line with the Pistons’ overall development curve. Just as Cade and Jalen Duren are coming into their own, Avdija has broken out too.
Imagine his fit on the current Pistons roster as a long-term starting forward. Detroit could roll out a lineup of Cade, a potent shooter, Ausar Thompson, Avdija and Duren. Not only would they have a true secondary scorer and creator, but Avdija also has the tools to become a positive defender in the right system.
The Pistons should have practically no regrets about any decisions made in the last 3 years, but their miss from the 2020 Draft continues to haunt them. Oh what could’ve been if they took Deni Avdija instead of Killian Hayes.
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