Pistons could break NBA Draft consensus to land elusive archetype

The Detroit Pistons have mostly been attached to guards in NBA Mock Drafts, but a recent report suggests they could go in a different direction to swing for the archetype that has eluded them for years. 

Detroit has an urgent need for ball handlers, that much is true, but it’s also true that guards aren’t the only ones that can handle the rock. 

It’s also true that the only ball handlers the Pistons do have are guards, so they could use more of it at the forward and wing positions. 

Detroit has mostly been connected to guards like Bennett Stirtz, Christian Anderson, Labaron Philon and Ebuka Okorie, but insider Jake Fischer also added swingman Dailyn Swain to their list of possibilities. 

Swain doesn’t fit the profile of the 3-point shooter the Pistons need, and he’s not a ball handling guard, but he could be the right choice for Detroit, who needs size to go along with playmaking. 

The Pistons don’t need any more small guards 

There are plenty of quality guard prospects in this draft, which is one of the reasons the Pistons have been attached to so many of them, as there is a good chance one of the top guys could fall into their laps. 

But when I am looking at film of these guards, one of the main things I am looking for is whether I think this person is better (or will be) than the small guards the Pistons already have, and the answer is almost always no. 

Can this person create and shoot better than Marcus Sasser? Can this person penetrate a defense as well as Daniss Jenkins? 

If you look at how hard Jenkins and Sass have had to work just to stay on the fringes, it's hard to see some rookie college kid coming in an displacing them unless he is the real deal.

Dailyn Swain brings playmaking from the wing 

I am not saying the Pistons shouldn’t go after more guards who can shoot and handle the rock, but those types of players tend to be easier to come by than two-way wings and forwards who can create. 

Just look at the available players this offseason, there is no shortage of guards who can shoot, guys like Norman Powell, CJ McCollum etc... There are always ball handlers available, ask Dennis Schroder, who gets traded every summer.

Swain is not a lights-out 3-point shooter (though he improved mightily this season), but he can create from the wing, get his own shot and is a strong finisher around the rim. 

He shot 54 percent from the floor last season and 60 percent from 2-point range, so he’s already very good around the rim and in the mid-range. Being able to create your own shot and finish at the rim is vital in the playoffs and it's something the Pistons have little of outside of Cade Cunningham.

Swain also has great size at 6-foot-8, 225lbs., and is no slouch on defense. He can defend a couple of spots and would give the Pistons more roster flexibility than a small guard who can only defend one position. 

Swain is a good creator and playmaker on the wing, which is something the Pistons don’t have and is harder to come by than a guard with those skills. 

The Pistons haven’t had an impact two-way wing/forward since the Tayshaun Prince days (really), so don’t be surprised if you hear Swain’s name called if he happens to fall to Detroit with the 21st pick. 

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