Detroit Pistons: 5 options for pick No. 12 in 2017 NBA Draft
By Max Holm
3. Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga
Zach Collins is the best center prospect in this year’s draft, which might seem an odd option for Detroit. Drummond still has four years left on a five-year max deal and Collins isn’t ready to start in the NBA. That being said, Detroit looked lost whenever Drummond wasn’t anchoring the team’s defense. In Collins, they would have a cheap, useful center under team control for four years.
Though he still has a lot of room to improve, one thing Collins showed he could already do at the college level was protect the rim. Just ask South Carolina. As he’ll turn 20 around the start of the season, Collins has plenty of time to develop into the player he can become. By the time he’s ready for his next contract, he may even be a better option than Drummond.
Collins plays really hard and shows signs of being able to do it all at center. Pass, shoot, rebound, block shots — he has that much potential. If he can shoot right away, he might even be able to play with Drummond a bit.
He’s not close to putting it all together, but Collins could be a complete center in 3-4 years. Depending on who drops on draft night, he might be their best option.