We’ve heard endless talk about how the Detroit Pistons need shot creation, ball-handling and scoring, with most assuming that has to come from a guard for some reason.
The early mock drafts reflect that agenda, as many of them have the Pistons taking tweener guards like Bennett Stirtz and Christian Anderson, who could theoretically provide playmaking and shooting.
The Pistons also had Ebuka Okorie in for a pre-draft workout, another bucket-getter who can create off the bounce.
All of these players could be worthy of the 21st pick, and the Pistons could also go in a completely different direction, as they don’t necessarily need more from the guard position.
The Detroit Pistons need more playmaking everywhere
What little dribble penetration and playmaking the Pistons did get in the playoffs came primarily from Cade Cunningham with a splash of Daniss Jenkins. With veteran Duncan Robinson looking less like a starter, and backups Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser making little impact at all, it’s easy to look at this group and say it needs an upgrade.
That player could come from the draft, and there are some interesting possibilities, but almost all of the guards being mentioned are 6-foot-2 or shorter, and the Pistons already have two small guards in Jenkins and Marcus Sasser.
Is the 21st pick in the draft really going to be an upgrade from either of these guys? I have my doubts, though this is a deep draft, and Trajan Langdon has been good at finding talent in this range.
The Pistons could really use more playmaking and scoring from the wing, where they are getting precious little of it with two players in Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II who can’t shoot.
Thompson is better defending guards anyway, so the Pistons could look for playmaking and scoring at the wing position and just bump Ausar up to the two if necessary.
What they don’t necessarily need is another small guard who might be a target on the defensive end.
Wing creators are not as easy to find, and the Pistons don’t necessarily have to find that player in the draft, but they also don’t have to reach for a combo point guard just because they need more playmaking.
And that’s if they keep the pick at all.
Detroit may have other plans with their draft pick
The 21st pick is one of the Pistons’ best trade assets, so we could see it moved in a bigger deal.
This could be why the Pistons are working out players who project outside of the draft, or even later in the first round if they were to trade down.
It could be a wild draft night, and I wouldn’t necessarily pencil in a point guard as the Pistons’ pick just yet.
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