Pistons pick at No. 37 overall in the NBA Draft
Coming off their best season in years, the NBA Draft has a different feeling to it than it has had in past years for the Detroit Pistons . They are no longer desperate for a star to right the ship and give us someone to build around. With the emergence of Cade Cunningham as an All-NBA level player, they have that star, and with Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart, and Ron Holland, the rest of the core is not lacking talent either. Now is the time when you add complementary pieces that can help tie it all together. Even without a first-round pick, there are always gems to be found.
Now, it is unfortunate that this draft class had a mass exodus of second-round talent choosing to stay in college for NIL deals, but even so, the class remains fairly deep in my opinion, and there should be quality talent to pick from with the No. 37 overall draft pick. It is worth noting that of the prospects that have been reported to have worked out with the Pistons, only a few are projected to be drafted. That either means they plan on trading the pick or that they didn’t want to tip their hand on potential second-round targets. Lets assume they are just keeping their cards close to their chest (they never worked out Ron Holland last year). In that spirit, here are some prospects that I want to highlight that could be interesting options for the Detroit Pistons ahead of the NBA Draft.
Rasheer Fleming, PF, Saint Joseph’s
I would begin trying to trade up for Rasheer ASAP, he is #14 on my board and would be a perfect fit for the Pistons. He is a six-foot-nine athletic forward who has a seven-foot-five wingspan that he uses to wreak havoc on the defensive end of the floor. The development of Rasheer’s three-point shooting (39% on 4.5 attempts per game) took his game to the next level which is why I am very surprised that he fell to the 2nd round of the NBA Draft. This season Fleming averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. Rasheer Fleming is a competitive, versatile player who would slot in as a vital two-way contributor right away.
Noah Penda, PF, France
Noah Penda would be a strong addition to the team as well. The forward has emerged as a standout defender while competing professionally in the French league. He and Rasheer are the only two prospects that I had in my top 30 who are still available, and Penda would also be a versatile player who could instantly contribute. Penda averaged 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in 26.9 minutes on 44/30/69 shooting this season and showcased his developing offensive game and creation potential. I view him to be one of the highest-floor prospects in the draft due to his defensive value.
Maxime Raynaud, C, Stanford
The best shooting big man in the draft would be an excellent addition to the Detroit Pistons who are looking to add a stretch 5. Raynaud is a very skilled offensive big man and had a very productive season at Stanford this year, averaging 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.7/34.7/77.0. While Raynaud does lag behind on the defensive end compared to his offensive game, he has made some refinements late in the season and had reportedly held his own on the defensive end in workouts so there is hope that he can reach a level on that end where he can be an impact player.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton
Ryan Kalkbrenner would be an interesting big-man option if he is still available at #37. The Creighton star averaged 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 65.3% from the floor, 34.4% from three on 1.7 attempts per game, and 68.1% from the free-throw line. Kalkbrenner is one of the best combinations of high-level defense and the potential to stretch the floor out of the centers in this draft. I would be a bit surprised if he fell this far and would consider it a no-brainer pick. His defense would provide immediate value off the bench.
Jamir Watkins, SG/SF, FSU
Jamir Watkins is a 3-and-D wing who has grown on me a lot the more I have watched him. While he shot only 32.1% from three this season at FSU and only 34.4% the year before, you might question the label of 3&D. However, over the last three seasons, Watkins knocked down 41.3% of his spot-up threes on 196 attempts. At FSU, Watkins played a significant role, leading to him averaging 18.4 points per game and a high USG% of 31.1%. I think that by scaling down his role and rather than him having to create for himself, he had others creating for him and could focus on being a spot-up shooter where he excels, you could unlock the best version of Watkins.
Chaz Lanier, SG, Tennessee
Lanier is a top shooting prospect in this year’s draft and followed in Dalton Knecht’s footsteps as a Tennessee transfer to absolutely light it up from beyond the arc. This season, Chaz averaged 18 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 43% from the floor and 39.5% from three on 8.2 attempts per game. The six-foot-five guard has good length with a six-foot-nine wingspan and he also tested very well in lane agility drills as well as for max vertical. This length and athleticism should aid him in being able to hold up on the defensive end of the court where he will need to improve at the next level.
Alex Toohey, SF, NBL
Toohey is a productive player in Australia’s NBL and has been on draft radars for a couple of years now. In 23 minutes per game this season, Toohey averaged 10.6 points, 4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game and shot 44.9% from the floor, 31% from three, and 72.6% from the line. The shooting numbers are a bit of a concern but he has good mechanics and has improved from where he was last year. He is a strong defender, a good cutter, and a solid connector which I think gives him a fairly high floor. The development of his shot could make him into a very impactful two-way player.
Tyrese Proctor, PG/SG, Duke
Proctor is a high IQ guard who transitioned to playing a more off-ball role this season after serving as a primary initiator for Duke the season prior. I think this change benefited him a lot. Proctor is a very good shooter from beyond the arc, he knocked down 40.5% of his 5.8 three-point attempts per game. He is an engaged defender who I think will be able to hold his own on that end of the court. Tyrese is a high-floor backup combo guard who could contribute right away off the bench as a handler, spot-up shooter, and point-of-attack defender.
Koby Brea, SG, Kentucky
Brea is one of the best shooters in the NBA draft. This season at Kentucky, he shot 43.5% from three on 5.9 attempts per game. The season before that with Dayton, he shot 49.8% from three on 6.1 attempts per game. In both seasons, Brea had an incredibly high 3PAr of .684 and .817. In other words, Brea is not afraid to shoot; he is going to let it fly, and he is going to make a lot of them. He’s also a good free-throw shooter, in each of his last three seasons, he shot 91.4%, 87.5%, and 100%, partly due to very few attempts per game (0.3 per game in the 100% season), but still demonstrates his efficiency. However, this lack of free-throw attempts also highlights how reliant his scoring profile is on jumpers.
Micah Peavy, SF, Georgetown
Peavy is a bit underrated in my opinion, while he is an older prospect (he will be 24 as a rookie) he is a very productive two-way player. This season at Georgetown, Peavy averaged 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.3 steals while shooting 48.1% from the floor, 40% (4.1 attempts per game) from three, but a concerning 65.9% from the free-throw line. A versatile player who can be moved up and down the lineup, knocks down shots, is an impactful defender and connective passer could be a steal in the 2nd round, and could fit in nicely with Detroit’s young core.
Bogoljub Markovic, PF, Mega
7-footer Bogoljub Markovic would add some much-needed floor spacing. This season with Mega, Markovic averaged 13.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 61.2% on his 2-point attempts and 37% on his 3-point attempts. Defensively, he lags behind and will need to improve on that end at the next level but it will be his unique offensive profile that will entice an NBA team to draft him. A jumbo wing/forward who can shoot like Markovic is always valuable.
Johni Broome, C, Auburn
One of the most productive players in all of college basketball, Johni Broome is a skilled big man and a fantastic defender who could be great value in the 2nd round of the draft. This season the Broome averaged 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.1 blocks while shooting 51/27.8/58.7. The willingness to shoot is a good sign, but the free-throw shooting is a poor indicator for his shooting development. Broome’s lack of athleticism also raises questions about how he will be able to translate to the next level.
Of the prospects that have been reported to have worked out for the Detroit Pistons, only Chaz Lanier, Johni Broome, and Kobe Sanders are players who are expected to be drafted. I am a bit lower on them than some of the others I have mentioned. On my big board (subject to change), they are as follows: Sanders (#48), Broome (#49), and Lanier (#51). Lanier would be the best fit from this group for the team.
Honorable Mentions:
These are players that I chose not to include because I either do not think they will be available at pick #37, feel they are poor fits for the team and what they need to address, or that they would be reaches at #37. I’ll include my big board ranking next to them.
Adou Thiero #30
Rocco Zikarsky #38
Kam Jones #40
Sion James #41
Max Shulga #44
Javon Small #46
Kobe Sanders #49
Ryan Nembhard #50
John Tonje #53
Hunter Sallis #54
Alijah Martin #55
Eric Dixon #59