Remember the NBA draft?
The changing of the guard with the Detroit Pistons – Trajan Langdon named president of basketball operations and former general manager Troy Weaver out – has dominated the conversation in the Motor City since the worst season in franchise history ended in April. Around these parts, the NBA The project is generally the focus. Hope always sells, and this franchise needs it regularly.
However, as the Pistons have bigger decisions coming up, the franchise has fallen to 5th in the NBA Draft Lottery and this particular draft class has been described as Me From anyone worth talking about, the annual influx of new talent has not been at the forefront of anyone’s mind. But the 2024 NBA Draft is just a few weeks away and, until otherwise indicated, Detroit will make a selection.
In order to get an idea of who the Pistons might covet at No. 5, it’s best to look back to New Orleans — where Langdon previously served as general manager and had great influence in basketball personnel decisions despite his working under Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin – coveted in recent drafts. Socket Zion Williamson out of the equation, because anyone who had two eyes and liked having a job was going to take it first in 2019, the best way to see what Langdon and Co. valued in a player is to look at who the Pelicans selected/traded when they did not get the first pick. Six names: Jaxson Hayes (2019), Kira Lewis Jr. (2020), Trey Murphy (2021), Herb Jones (2021), Dyson Daniels (2022) and Jordan Hawkins (2023). There are a few things to remember when looking at this handful of prospects.
Let’s start with Murphy, Jones and Daniels, all of whom measure 6-foot-7 to 6-foot-8 with a wingspan of 6-foot-10 to 7 feet. These three players all entered their respective draft classes considered plus defenders. Additionally, Murphy was a sharpshooter coming out of college, as questions swirled around the shooting of Jones and Daniels. However, Jones showed high-level cutting ability in college and Daniels showed the ability to play with and without the ball as a cutter. Jones and Daniels didn’t hit any bad jump shots until they got to the NBA, but they were not consistent creators. Jones has become that in the NBA, but Daniels hasn’t yet.
As for Lewis and Hawkins, they were different players in college. Lewis was a lightning-fast point guard at Alabama who had a good pull-up shot to go with it and Hawkins was a fast-twitch 3-point shooter. Both are slender in shape. Lewis is only 6-foot-1, and Hawkins, while 6-foot-5, weighed just 185 pounds coming out of college.
Additionally, New Orleans only used one valuable pick (in a trade) on a center, choosing instead to address the big man position with veterans already in the NBA like Steven Adams And Jonas Valančiūnas.
When using the Pelicans’ moves to analyze what the Pistons could do with the No. 5 pick, I think it’s best to look at New Orleans targeting Murphy, Jones and Daniels. Not only are these long, slender wings more abundant at the top of this particular draft, but Detroit has long lacked this archetype of player.
Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher feels like the type of player who would be at the top of the Langdon board. He’s 6-foot-8 (although he only has a 6-foot-7 wingspan) and feels like a connective offensive piece with defensive upside because of the way he moves his feet. Risacher’s shot is more promising than Jones’ was when he was coming out of college, but by the same token, Risacher needs to prove his shot is real at the next level. Risacher has been an excellent 3-point shooter in France’s top league this season, but he was mediocre to bad previously and is shooting in the 70s on his free throws this year.
There are concerns about Risacher’s finishing around the rim in the half-court, but if his shot legitimately crossed the line, that and NBA spacing could improve those numbers. Ultimately, I think Risacher will be out of the picture when Detroit is selected at #5.
Colorado’s Cody Williams could be there when the Pistons are on the clock and, in theory, he feels like a player Langdon would like. Williams, the Oklahoma City brother Jalen Williams, had a disappointing first season. Injuries could have played a big role in that, but Williams wasn’t the dominant force many were hoping to see. Either way, the 6-foot-6 wing with a 7-foot-1 wingspan has plenty of intriguing qualities about him.
For starters, he has great versatility as a defender due to his length and alertness. Second, on offense, Williams’ long arms allow him to finish in a variety of ways. It’s not an explosive jumper by any means, but it’s nifty when finishing around the rim. How his 3-point shot translates will be the biggest mystery surrounding Williams. Yes, he shot 41.5 percent over 3 years. However, he only attempted 41 3s all season. He also has some point forward potential, as he makes quick reads and has good command. The shooting will help determine the impact Williams could have as the primary ball handler. Evaluating him heading into the NBA, there are flashes of Jones as a prospect that could be applied.
The final player worth studying is Matas Buzelis, a 6-foot-8 wing with a 6-foot-10 wingspan who spent last season with G League Ignite. If you were reading the “way too early” 2024 NBA mock drafts a year ago, you probably saw Buzelis as the projected No. 1 pick. A disappointing season with the Ignite and the rise of a few other prospects makes Buzelis unlikely to go No. 1, but there is a world where he ends up being the best player in this draft.
He is an intelligent player with good passing skills. Detroit needs more high IQ players. Buzelis moves well without the ball and makes himself available by cutting and communicating. The shot is strange because its shape and movement suggest it’s a legitimate 3-point threat, but the numbers just haven’t translated. This could be due to his slim figure and his need to get a little stronger. The results indicate that Buzelis is currently an unreliable shooter, but I think he will make the jump to the NBA sooner rather than later.
There are also concerns about his finishing around the rim, but that could also be attributed to his lack of strength. Defensively, Buzelis has the size and length to be a disruptive off-ball defender, but I don’t yet believe in him as someone who can defend faster guards or stronger wings. I also worry about how long it will take him to navigate screens defensively due to, again, his skinny frame. Still, there’s great potential there and many of the concerns about Buzelis seem to be rooted in the need to get stronger. Life in the NBA will surely contribute to that.
(Top photo: Sean Gardner/Big 3 via Getty Images)
