Detroit Pistons: 5 free agents to target if Christian Wood leaves
By Matthew Way
2. Derrick Jones, Jr.
Derrick Jones, Jr. may stand at 6’6”, but with a wingspan around seven feet and unparalleled athleticism, he could bring a much needed physical profile to downtown Detroit.
For years, the Pistons have been small and not particularly athletic on the wing. It was particularly striking when the Milwaukee Bucks swept them in the first round two years ago. Kennard and Brown only contribute to that deficiency and Sekou Doumbaya is a giant question mark at this early point in his career.
Jones would provide quite the contrast.
He’s not much of a shooter from deep, but he’s also only 23 years old. His 77.2 percent shooting from the charity stripe last season provides some hope, albeit on a small sample. But even if he doesn’t become a shooting threat, he can still contribute in Detroit from day one.
Jones spends most of his time off the ball cutting and slashing to the paint which works well alongside Blake Griffin, who needs such a threat to weaken the effectiveness of double teams. Given Griffin’s improved outside shooting, Jones’ weakness is mitigated quite a bit in smaller lineups where he may be the only negative shooter on the floor. His freakish athleticism makes him a threat around the rim and provides some extra rim protection in smaller lineups without a true center. If the Pistons want to go super small, Jones has the length to even give them a few minutes at the five.
If he figures out his shooting stroke from deep, he becomes a very valuable piece moving forward. It’s by no means a sure thing, but for Detroit, it’s certainly a risk worth taking.