Big swings and flops: Troy Weaver's first draft class with the Detroit Pistons

Since the NBA Trade Deadline has now come and gone, the Detroit Pistons are now left with just one player from Troy Weaver’s first draft as GM of the Pistons.

At the time, it was considered quite a big swing for the fences, and the players from that draft were expected to be the face of the franchise for years to come. So how did each of his picks pan out? Let’s take a look. 

7th overall pick, Killian Hayes, 6’4 point guard, France

Troy Weaver got off to a hot start in terms of going outside the box with his first pick with Detroit. Killian Hayes’ draft analysis was a long point guard with a great feel for the game, above average defense, and a good pull up game. His offense was heralded and considered to be on the fringe of a consistent perimeter threat. He was pretty consistently being mocked as a backend lottery pick, with big board talent in the top ten. 

Detroit was hurting at the point guard position, as Reggie Jackson wasn’t cutting it. Detroit decided to get their ball handler first and foremost, and eventually would waive Jackson, giving Killian complete control of the backcourt. Unfortunately for Detroit, Killian’s shooting never developed into the skill that many thought it could. Many publications gave the Pistons an "A" grade for the pick, but there were always disclaimers.

His athleticism was always a concern, and lack of explosiveness would plague Hayes during his time here. Killian did continue to show a great understanding of the game, high basketball IQ, and defense, but his offensive limitations made his time here a failure. Hayes’ career numbers are just 8.1 points on 38 percent from the field, 27 percent from three, 2.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. Right out of the gate, Troy Weaver swung and missed on Detroit’s first top ten draft pick in five years.