If available at pick eight, Anthony Bennett of UNLV fills a need both in talent and athleticism for the Pistons. (Prospect-Central, Flickr)
In need of much better guard play overall in order to improve, the Detroit Pistons may have ended up winning big by falling down in last month’s NBA Draft lottery.
Many will contend that the Pistons’ biggest need is a young player to develop on the wing. That’s been true, and the perfect fit exists if UNLV’s Anthony Bennett could grow into the role. Bennett, in addition to perhaps being the best player in the draft, could provide the team plenty more roster options during the summer. As any team in the midst of a rebuild can attest, having plenty of offseason options should always be the goal.
Between the inconsistent Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight, neither has shown enough to be counted on as the point guard of the future. To take the next step, the Pistons badly need to find their floor general, and a summer trade or signing could be the best option toward solving this problem. With Bennett in the fold and another major need filled, the Pistons could have the freedom to dangle either Stuckey or Knight (perhaps both?) for a game changing guard with experience under his belt.
A player to remember is Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics. If the Celtics were willing to listen to offers, given they are apparently in rebuild mode, the Pistons could find value in Rondo. Last season, Rondo was sidelined with a knee injury, so his intrigue could be diminished on the market. The Pistons would be best to hand things over to an experienced distributor who could get the most out of Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe rather than continue with the Stuckey experiment or struggle through growing pain with Knight.
Bennett, meanwhile, could give the Pistons an interesting piece to build around. He’s a bit too small to play down low exclusively, but could effectively develop into a nice swingman off the wing, capable of playing either shooting guard or small forward. Bennett, it has been said, has the highest ceiling of anyone in the 2013 draft. Who better to tutor him than Maurice Cheeks, a coach who’s already developed players like Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young at the position.
Getting a wingman in the fold would open the Pistons up to everything else prior to the offseason. Rather than rolling the dice with an unproven young guard in the lottery and continue a logjam at the position, the Pistons should go with the safe pick and fill needs in the process. Then, they should look to shake up their backcourt with a trade. Bennett, if he falls and gets into the right situation, could become the most solid prospect from this talent pool, and Detroit has the elements to develop him into a star.
Whether Bennett’s name is called Thursday night or not, the Pistons will get a few new players in their colors. Who does the Detroit Sports Site think might be other fits during the draft? Here’s our complete mock.
Round 1
Max’s Pick 8: Anthony Bennett, SF/SG, UNLV. Though many will have concerns about his durability and toughness, Bennett fills the most obvious need for the Pistons. His talent is obvious, as is his fit. The Pistons have the makings of an impressive front court, and could continue that strong development to the wing with the selection of Bennett. Other options: PG C.J. McCollum, SF Shabazz Muhammed, PG Michael Carter-Williams, PF/C Cody Zeller, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Chris’s Pick 8: Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse. If Trey Burke’s here, I think the Pistons have to keep him in state. He’s the type of pure point guard that could free up Brandon Knight, feed the big guys in the post and get Rodney Stuckey the heck off the court. Carter-Williams would do all of those things, too, even if he’s not the scorer Burke is. His length at 6-foot-6 with Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond down low would make the Pistons a very long team, which should lead to some better defense.
Round 2
Max’s Pick 37: Peyton Siva, PG, Louisville. Early in the second round, the Pistons can take their young guard they have closely watched during work outs. Siva, who played a key role for the Louisville Cardinals during their march to the NCAA Championship, has the toughness, size and leadership Joe Dumars likes and could become an excellent option off the bench for a team. Cheeks can use him as his developmental project guard. Other options: SF/PF DeShaun Thomas, SF/PF C.J. Leslie, C Jeff Withey, SG Archie Goodwin.
Chris’s Pick 37: C.J. Leslie, SF/PF, North Carolina State. I really think this is a steal if Leslie gets this far, as it seems like he might. Leslie is wiry at 6-foot-9 and 206 pounds and he cannot shoot that well from the outside (33 percent last season), so it’s tough to pinpoint a real position for him. But his athleticism at, say, the 3-spot really would be a boost off the bench.
Max’s Pick 56: Ryan Kelly, PF, Duke. Near the end of the second round, teams can only hope to get lucky with a flier pick and round out their roster. Kelly has shown an outstanding ability to shoot the basketball, which could help him catch on with Detroit’s roster much like Kyle Singler, another Duke prospect, recently has. Kelly could end up playing a similar role at a different position for the Pistons. Other options: PF/C Kenny Kaji, PG Ray McCallum, SF Janis Timma.
Chris’s Pick 56: Jackie Carmichael, PF, Illinois State. Shot in the dark here — ESPN’s Chad Ford has him at No. 42; NBADraft.net doesn’t even have him on the board. He put up 17.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last season at Illinois State, though, and the Pistons could use another grinder down low with Jason Maxiell about to leave in free agency.
Max DeMara is a senior editor at The Detroit Sports Site. You can find him on Twitter @SportsGuyTheMax
