The NBA Draft is obviously an inexact science, but no one out there puts more homework behind his educated guesses than Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. After last night’s draft lottery, he looked at the needs of each team and came up with lists of players they’d consider. Here was his guess at candidates for the Pistons at No. 8:Will Consider: Enes Kanter, Donatas Motiejunas, Marcus Morris, Alec Burks, Kawhi Leonard
The Pistons have plenty of needs, and it’s doubtful whether they’ll be able to solve them all in one night. Not in this draft class, and not after sliding down one spot to the #8 pick. There are question marks about whether Rodney Stuckey is their point guard of the future, better suited at the 2, or would even be most effective coming off the bench. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince may not be here long term. And while the team has invested a great deal of money in power forwards Charlie Villanueva and Jason Maxiell, the position is anything but fortified judging by the results of last season.
At this point, the team may have to take a long look at Enes Kanter, even if it may be difficult to play him together with starting center Greg Monroe, whose heavy feet make him ill-suited to guard perimeter oriented power forwards. Kanter is a poor match in Utah, Toronto and Sacramento with their current starting centers, and is scaring off already-skeptical teams with his unwillingness to work out competitively for any team. Nevertheless, NBA teams need size and toughness inside the paint, and the Pistons were too weak of a team, in too weak of a draft to pick solely on need.
I would love to see Leonard as a Piston, but if Kanter falls to No. 8, it would be a second straight late lottery gift for Detroit. I don’t think they could pass on him if he lasts that long.
And incidentally, for all of the Bismack Biyombo fans inf Pistons land, Givony thinks that he’ll be off the board before the Pistons pick at eight. DraftExpress has him going seventh overall to Sacramento, but also has him getting consideration as high as third overall by Utah.
By Patrick Hayes • 10:15 am • May 18, 2011
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