A huge reach for the Detroit Pistons in latest NBA Mock Draft
The Detroit Pistons are likely to finish the 2023-24 season with a guaranteed top-5 pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess, as this draft is a complete mystery and the Pistons may choose to package their pick in a trade for a proven player.
If that trade doesn’t present itself, the Pistons are left with the age-old draft question of whether to pick for fit or talent, a question that will be even more applicable to this draft, where there are few certainties and no guaranteed stars.
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A recent Mock Draft from The Ringer had the Pistons reaching for fit over ceiling, taking Dalton Knecht with the 4th pick, which may be an option in the wonkiest draft in years.
Detroit Pistons draft: Reaching for Dalton Knecht
No one (other than maybe Zach Edey or Donovan Clingan) benefitted more from the NCAA Tournament than Dalton Knecht of Tennessee, who has risen up draft boards after a strong run in the tournament when he flashed NBA skills.
Knecht should be a plug-and-play draft pick who is already 23 years old and will at least be able to shoot the 3-ball at a high level, which is the type of certainty not may prospects in this draft can offer. Whether the playmaking he showed in college will translate to the NBA, or whether his defense will cut it are two different stories.
But Knecht can get buckets, and at the very least will be a good 3-point threat coming off screens and at most would be a secondary scoring option for the Pistons. Detroit needs a player of this description, but would Knecht be a reach in the top five?
He is 23 and does have obvious weaknesses on defense, so it’s fair to ask if there is someone with a higher ceiling the Pistons should be targeting. With Troy Weaver (if he is still around) under pressure to win, he might be more inclined to take a safer player who also happens to be a fit than to swing for the fences on unproven upside.
If the Pistons were to fall to 5th again, Knecht may be an option but he’s not the kind of player that will have fans dancing in the streets of Detroit.
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