Detroit Pistons: Ranking the last decade's first-round picks

Detroit Pistons: Ranking the last decade’s first-round picks

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 25: Stanley Johnson celebrates after being selected eighth overall by the Detroit Pistons in the First Round of the 2015 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 25, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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Detroit Pistons (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

#9 Austin Daye (2009)

Most new fans will forget this ever happened. Austin Daye was selected in 2009 during the waning days of the contending years. The main thing that put him ahead of Ellenson is slightly more longevity. Could Ellenson end up lasting longer than Daye? Possibly, but watching how this season was going for Ellenson I would not bet on it.

Daye peaked at 7.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in his second season in the league. After bouncing around to Memphis, Toronto, San Antonio and Atlanta from 2012 to 2015 he has found a success playing in Italy and Israel. Getting an NBA title with the Spurs and then a FIBA Europe Cup title helps the resume out a little too.

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The biggest negative in the Austin Daye column is the players who went after him. Given that he went 15th there were more chances for teams to get things right after the Pistons than they did in the case of Ellenson and the results are bothersome. Here is a short list of players who went after Daye: Jrue Holiday (17), Ty Lawson (19), Jeff Teague (19), Darren Collison (21) and Danny Green (46). Such is life when you make the wrong draft pick.

These two were both pretty negative and while we are still pretty low in the rankings things are starting to improve a little bit.

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