Detroit Pistons: 3 options with the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft

Detroit Pistons NBA draft option No. 3: Killian Hayes

Killian Hayes is a fascinating choice if he’s still on the board for the Detroit Pistons at No. 7. He’s one of the better ball-handlers and playmakers in this draft class, in spite of the fact that he’s utterly left-hand dominant and rarely uses his right hand.

Hayes is young, just 18, but he’s got NBA size at 6’5″ and 215 lbs, with a 6’8″ wingspan. He’s strong and can physically dominate smaller guards, and in spite of the left-hand dominance he has the handle to get by them (if not necessarily the athleticism).

He doesn’t shoot the ball well (not yet at least), hitting just 29.4 percent of his 3-point attempts last season for his team Ratiopharm Ulm. His catch and shoot numbers were awful, scoring just .667 points per possession (12th percentile) on 36 opportunities, but interestingly enough he scored .988 points per possession on jumpers off the dribble.

Generally speaking, thanks to a number of variables like spacing, teammate pass quality and sample size, solid free throw shooting numbers both in college and international play are better indicators of future NBA success than raw 3-point numbers. That’s good news for Hayes because he shot 87.6 percent from the free throw line, so there’s plenty of reason to believe his shooting will improve.

Tankathon’s shooting model projects that he’ll shoot 36.3 percent from 3-point range based largely on those free throw numbers. It seems a bit optimistic, but it’s not a lost cause either.

Of this trio, Hayes would likely be the favorite pick for the Detroit Pistons, but he also has the highest chance of getting selected before they have the chance.