Best Pick #2: Ausar Thompson, 2023
Most would put Cade Cunningham or Jalen Duren here, but Cunningham was a consensus #1 and the book is still out on Duren.
You could say the same about Thompson, but to me, he is one of the surest things the Pistons have. Even if he never becomes a great shooter, Thompson is going to be an elite defender who will make multiple All-Defensive teams and I’d bet heavily on that.
The Pistons finally took a wing player to fill a gaping hole that has been there since the Tayshaun Prince days. At the very least, Thompson will defend, rebound, provide energy and make plays in transition and when his offense develops, he has the chance to be a two-way star.
I loved this pick at the time and it’s hard to see any of the players taken after Thompson being definitively better.
Worst pick #3: Jaden Ivey, 2022
Ok, I should start by saying that I don’t think Ivey is terrible and do think he’ll be a good NBA player. Like many fans, I kind of sort of applauded when he fell into their laps before really thinking about it.
But in hindsight, the Ivey pick made no sense for a couple of reasons. The first is that he isn’t a good fit with Cade Cunningham. Why take another lead guard right after drafting a guy you immediately labeled your franchise cornerstone?
The second is that I just don’t see many players of Ivey’s mold (inefficient, quick guards who can’t defend) making a big impact around a league currently dominated by wing players and skilled bigs. Tyrese Maxey and De'Aaron Fox come to mind but both of them were 20+ ppg scorers at age 22 and hitting 48 percent of their shots.
That’s not to say Ivey won’t be good or even great someday, but there were several wing players in Bennedict Mathurin, Shaedon Sharpe, Dyson Daniels and Jeremy Sochan taken just after Ivey who made more sense as matches with Cade Cunningham.
I am cheering for Ivey and I love his attitude and work ethic, but from both a teambuilding perspective and just looking at the landscape of the modern NBA, it can be argued that Ivey was not the right pick.