Yesterday, we looked at what the Pistons need -- starting with a point guard and a wing who can knock down the 3-pointer and open things up inside for Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.
They've got a large amount of cap space to work on those holes, but they start the rebuilding process Thursday night with the eighth pick in the draft. Here's are some of the players who could end up in a Pistons uniform -- we won't be considering Nerlens Noel and Ben McLemore, who will almost certainly be gone by the time that Detroit is on the clock. It says a lot about the lack of star power in this draft that they are the only two players that can be confidently eliminated.
1) Trey Burke, PG, Michigan. You are probably familiar with this young man, but just in case, he was the consensus national player of the year, led Michigan to the national-championship game and made a huge number of plays that will live on in Michigan lore. He's a point guard that never turns over the ball, which would allow Brandon Knight to play shooting guard, but Burke can also hit a 3 and get to the rim. His skill at running the pick-and-roll turned Mitch McGary from an unknown to a national star in less than a month, so you can only wonder what he could do for Drummond.
His biggest drawback is his size. At 6'1", he and Knight would be a very small backcourt, and he'll be forced to defend much bigger point guards. Burke's a big-play defender -- think about his game-clinching plays against Michigan State and Ohio State -- but he'll have to prove he can stand up to bigger players on a nightly basis.
2) Victor Oladipo, SG/SF, Indiana. Oladipo is probably the best defender in the draft and picked up an offensive game last season while leading the Hoosiers to the Big Ten title. He's probably too small to play small forward, and he's certainly not a point guard, which leaves the question of how to play him and Knight together. After covering the Big Ten this season, I'm convinced that Oladipo is going to be a extremely good NBA player, but he probably would be a better fit on another franchise.
3) Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse. The opposite of Burke, MCW is a big point guard who shouldn't have nearly as much trouble on the defensive end. He's a good passer, and would work well if the Pistons find a high-scoring veteran small forward. However, he's a poor shooter, and combined with Drummond's limited offensive skills, Detroit would need to get a lot of scoring from just three positions.
4) C.J. McCollum, PG/SG, Lehigh. You have to think Joe Dumars is going to like the idea of a small-college guard who can shoot the lights out. The problem is he's a natural shooting guard, which would make for an awkward combination with Knight. The last thing the Pistons need is to draft another guard who can't handle the point. McCollum has also had injury problems as a senior, but nothing that is expected to bother him as a rookie.
5) Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV. To pick Bennett eighth, Dumars will have to be convinced that he can switch to small forward in the NBA. At 6'7", he's not going to move Monroe or Drummond out of the inside, so he'd have to end up as a 3. He has the shooting range for that spot, and he would give Detroit three rebounders. However, with only one year of college as a power forward, there's a huge question as to whether he can handle the defensive needs as a NBA small forward.
6) Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown. A big 3 with a wingspan that would remind Pistons fans of Tayshaun Prince. Porter's only problem is that he hasn't mastered the outside shot he'll need in the NBA. He comes from the same Georgetown system as Monroe, and even though he just turned 20, he's got the type of game that means he's almost certainly going to be a solid NBA player. He might not have the tremendous upside that Detroit wants, but the biggest thing standing between him and the Pistons is that he's almost certainly going to be gone before the eighth pick.
7) Cody Zeller, C, Indiana. Neither of Zeller's brothers have made a big impact on the NBA, and Cody isn't likely to break the trend. He struggled with the physical play of the Big Ten, and it isn't going to get easier at the next level. He's also not going to be getting the Assembly Hall calls that he has thrived on, and he especially doesn't make sense for a team that has Drummond and Monroe.
8) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Georgia. Highly rated, but a terrible fit for the Pistons. He's a shooting guard who doesn't get to the rim, and while he's a hard-working defender, he doesn't have the wingspan needed to deflect passes. Not someone who should interest the Pistons over any of the seven players listed above.
9) Alex Len, C, Maryland. Big, young player who needs a team ready to spend a couple years developing a project player. The Pistons shouldn't be interested in doing that with a player who projects as Andre Drummond's backup.
