2018 NBA Draft: 3 prospects with close ties to the Detroit Pistons
By Amaar Burton
Grayson Allen, SG — Duke
Sandwiched between Grayson Allen’s breakout freshman season at Duke and the reputation-rehab tour that was his senior season, he was a teammate of Pistons shooting guard Luke Kennard for two years.
After Allen helped the Blue Devils to the 2015 NCAA championship with a 16-point effort off the bench in the title-game victory over Wisconsin, he was not only projected to be the team’s top player as a sophomore, he was expected to be one of the best overall players in the country and a surefire NBA lottery pick.
Allen’s sophomore year was the same year Kennard (No. 5) arrived in Durham as a freshman, coming off a high school career in which he scored more points in Ohio than LeBron James and was named Parade National Player of the Year.
More from Detroit Pistons
- NBA Trades: Spurs can add a recent lottery pick in this deal with Pistons
- Detroit Pistons draft odds: What are the chances of landing the #1 pick?
- Were the Golden State Warriors right to give up on James Wiseman?
- Ranking the top 18 shooters available on NBA trade market
- Jalen Duren has all the tools to be a star for the Detroit Pistons
Playing the same 2-guard position as Allen, Kennard mostly came off the bench while Allen led the team in scoring at 21.6 points per game.
Allen’s junior year was comparatively a disaster, derailed by the now-infamous tripping incidents and sideline tantrums that earned him a suspension by coach Mike Krzyzewski. While Allen’s pro stock plummeted, the sophomore Kennard stepped up as a starter and led the Blue Devils in scoring at 19.5 points per game.
Kennard decided to go pro, and was drafted No. 12 overall by the Pistons. As a rookie this past season, he showed some potential in limited playing time.
Allen returned to Duke for his senior year and played well enough to put himself back in the conversation as a possible first round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, though many mock drafts project him as a second-rounder.
The Pistons’ only draft pick is in the second round, and the team could use some help in the backcourt. It’s possible that the former college teammates reunite in Detroit.