Detroit Pistons NBA Draft Plans Must Be Flexible

Stan Van Gundy addressed the Detroit Pistons’ draft plans following a pre-draft workout on Tuesday. One thing is certain, flexibility is key this year.

Detroit Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy offered his input on the team’s plans for the 2016 NBA Draft. The Pistons hold the 18th and 49th overall picks in the draft.

Last year ended in optimism after clinching their first playoff berth in seven years and putting up a strong fight against the eventual-champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Detroit will move on to the offseason with Thursday’s draft needing to address their backcourt and finding a backup power forward.

The Pistons have already made a move this offseason, albeit small. They sent guard Spencer Dinwiddie to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for forward Cameron Bairstow, the team announced.

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Trading Dinwiddie away leaves the Pistons with Reggie Jackson as the lone point guard on the roster. It also gives the Pistons an option for a stretch-4 or a small-ball center.

In terms of draft implications, it doesn’t impact who the Pistons will draft, which seems to be a mystery. Flexibility is needed with the 18th pick, which is unfamiliar territory to Piston fans in recent team history, due to the unpredictabilities of the draft.

Van Gundy did provide some insight into what the Pistons will look to do on Thursday. He explained that the team is prepared for anyone who is on the board at 18, adding that “we like the group we think we’ll have available to us”.

What are the Pistons looking to do with the 18th pick? There are two things the Pistons are looking for in particular. The first is looking at a player that can provide some real contributions during their rookie season.

Most importantly, they are looking at prospects that they think will be the best player during their four-year rookie contract.

This gives the Pistons plenty of flexibility. With the unpredictability of the draft, they need to be flexible with trades that could happen around them or surprise picks and slides in the draft.

There are plenty of prospects to consider with the 18th pick. It’s just a matter of who is available when they are on the clock. With the young core the Pistons already have, they are in a position to go after a boom-or-bust prospect that could turn out to be a home run pick or a bust.

A couple of realistic possibilities for the Pistons at 18 are point guards Demetrius Jackson, Wade Baldwin IV and Tyler Ulis. All three guards had pre-draft workouts with the Pistons and each presents a uniqueness to them.

Jackson is a guard that is more of a scorer that can play on or off the ball. He uses his quickness and explosiveness to get open looks for himself and attack the rim. Similarly, he uses his quickness to stay in front of opponents while defending.

Baldwin is the biggest of the three point guards. His 6-foot-4 frame allows him to have the highest upside as a defender because he has a physical element that the other two can’t match. His size also gives him an edge to pass and shoot over defenders on the offensive end.

He isn’t particularly great at anything, but he has a good all-around basis to build off of and become the most complete guard of these three.

Ulis is 5-foot-10, which presents a disadvantage on the defensive end and brings concerns of being an effective playmaker. He also is believed to have a significant hip issue that could require surgery, according to Basketball Insider‘s Steve Kyler.

On the court, Ulis was a playmaker that boasts an incredible 3.5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He has a lot of draft baggage, but if everything checks out he could develop into a good player.

Moving to the wing there are a couple of options that the Pistons could bring in as solid contributors. Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine and Florida State’s Malik Beasley, who worked out for the Pistons on Tuesday, are both options that will likely be on the board at 18.

Valentine is a four-year college player that accomplished a lot as a playmaker, scorer and defender. He is likely bound to defending the shooting guard position with the possibility of playing point guard.

He doesn’t have NBA quickness or physicality, but he more than makes up for it with his basketball-IQ. He is a player that can contribute immediately as a rotational player, though he does have a hip problem mentioned in Kyler’s report.

Beasley is a one-and-done player that will best contribute offensively early in his career. His ability to create shots for himself working off the ball has him destined for the shooting guard position.

He could develop into a two-way player as his body matures and he adds strength.

There are a few bigs that could also be in play for the Pistons. A couple of guys they could look at are Cheick Diallo, Thon Maker, Brice Johnson and Diamond Stone.

Each of these players should be available at No. 18.

Diallo is a boom-or-bust player because he didn’t get much playing time in his only season at Kansas. He’s only 6-foot-9 but at 19-years-old he still has room to grow. His role in the NBA would be as a defender and rebounder. He has good quickness and leaping abilities which allows him to block shots, pull down rebounds and defend the pick-and-roll.

Most of his offensive opportunities will come from offensive rebounds and rolling off of picks.

Maker is an intriguing prospect because he is 7-foot-1 and has the ability to develop into a solid stretch-four under Van Gundy. He has good athleticism but is really lacking in strength and will be outmatched by most NBA forwards.

His draft selection will be based on development as and becoming a solid player in the later half of his rookie deal.

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Johnson is a four-year college player that broke out as a senior at North Carolina. He has an onslaught of good post moves, can finish off the pick-and-roll and has a good mid-range jumper. His vertical and good feet give him an opportunity to be a solid defender.

His ceiling is lower than most draft prospects, but he can contribute immediately.

Stone is a young center that could learn from star center Andre Drummond. He is a back-to-the-basket center that uses his post moves to contribute offensively. He needs to shed some weight in hope of gaining quickness and strength.

Until he does so, it will be tough on him to adjust to the pace of the NBA and will make him an ineffective defender.

The possibility of a trade can’t be ruled out. However, the Pistons won’t be major players in free agency which is why they acquired Tobias Harris at the trade deadline. That deal was made, in part, because his contract is friendly with the NBA’s salary cap rising this summer.

That is a reason why the Pistons will likely keep the 18th pick.

Trading the pick gives the Pistons an opportunity to address their needs by adding veterans. Keeping the pick allows the Pistons to sign their draft pick for the draft slot of $1,372,000 in their first season, according to RealGM.

That means that the Pistons could get a rotational player for cheap through the draft and have the ability to spend a little extra to add veterans through free agency.

Next: 2016 NBA Draft: Built On Unpredictability

Detroit needs to be flexible as draft night progresses on Thursday. It’s going to be an unpredictable draft that will ultimately have surprises.

The Pistons have done their homework on draft prospects and are prepared to select a player that can contribute in throughout their tenure in Detroit.