Detroit Pistons: 3 major takeaways from NBA draft night
By Matthew Way
NBA draft takeaway No. 2 – The Pistons are targeting length
Anyone who watched Detroit get swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019 playoffs saw very clearly that the Pistons were completely overmatched by the Bucks’ length. Early on in Troy Weaver’s tenure, it’s evident that is being addressed immediately.
Possessing length is critical for an NBA team in today’s game, even as the league’s lineups get smaller. That is because small ball is only successful to the extent that your individual defenders can switch and match up in what were previously considered mismatches. If your point guard has the length to defend a wing, it becomes a lot easier to switch rather than hedge, scramble, and put too much stress on rotations.
The Pistons began the process of getting longer in acquiring Dzanan Musa (6’9” wingspan), Killian Hayes (6’8”), Isaiah Stewart (7’4”) and Saddiq Bey (7’1”).
Bey’s natural position is probably point guard, but with a 6’10” wingspan, he should be able to shift down to power forward and hold his own. Hayes’ length makes him an ideal candidate to switch pick-and-roll situations, making everything easier on his teammates.
Offensively, that extra length certainly will come in handy too. Too often in past years, Detroit struggled to create shots for themselves because they needed additional space to get off shots. That should be much less of an issue moving forward. Of course, whether they’re able to make said shots is still to be determined.
But in the span of just a few days, Troy Weaver has begun the process of developing a more modern NBA roster, which should be encouraging news for fans in the Motor City.