Detroit Pistons: 5 predictions for the 2018-19 NBA season

5. Khyri Thomas and Bruce Brown Jr. will be G League stars

The Pistons landed two second round picks in the 2018 NBA Draft that some optimistic fans believe may be the team’s backcourt of the future.

Khyri Thomas, the No. 38 overall pick Detroit acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, was a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year at Creighton who made 40.6 percent of his 3-pointers. Bruce Brown Jr., the No. 42 pick, was a triple-double threat at Miami. Both prospects were graded by more than a few draft analysts as first round talents.

Thomas and Brown could turn out to be two steals of the 2018 draft class. They could become valuable rotation players or even starters down the road, but with some veterans currently penciled in ahead of them on the depth chart, it’s more likely that Thomas and Brown will spend extended stretches of 2018-19 with Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive.

The two rookies have the physical tools, athleticism and skill-sets to thrive in today’s NBA, but their opportunity to make a significant impact on the highest level may be delayed, as the Pistons’ depth afford them some time to develop.

For what it’s worth, Drive head coach Robert Werdann was formerly an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Bobcats, where he worked with star guards Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis and Kemba Walker.

Another reason for optimism is that the Pistons have historically had some of their greatest success with players who either took unconventional paths to the league, or didn’t make an immediate splash to begin their NBA careers. Chauncey Billups, Dennis Rodman and Vinnie Johnson come to mind, along with Ben Wallace, who happens to be part-owner of the Drive.