Five prospects Detroit Pistons might draft with the No. 8 pick
The Detroit Pistons still face a lot of uncertainty in their new era, under head coach and team president Stan Van Gundy. But by landing the No. 8 overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft in last night's lottery, they potentially moved one piece away from having their definitive core of the future.
While Detroit has some work to do locking down Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Greg Monroe for the long run, they could be in great shape if they get that done and add any number of these wing picks to those three, plus shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope:
Kristaps Porzingis, Latvia
The man they call "Zinger" is quickly becoming one of the hottest names in this draft. While he's more of a project than other wing prospects and seems destined to be gone before Detroit makes their selection, he definitely can't be ruled out for his appealing, unique combination of length, speed and shooting.
Mario Hezonja, Croatia
Hezonja can shoot, and the Pistons need shooters. Like Porzingis, however, Mario has a good chance at being gone before Van Gundy's name comes up. But Hezonja has to ultimately be considered one of the team's three most likely selections on draft night.
Kelly Oubre, Kansas
Oubre falls at the bottom of this depth chart, according to most scouts. It's all but a lock, though, that Detroit will draft according to need, and he's one of the best, most versatile small forwards in this crop. If Oubre performs well in interviews and workouts going forward, he could very well enter the conversation for Detroit.
Stanley Johnson, Arizona
If you're a betting man, you should put your dollars down on this one. Johnson fits the Pistons' needs, is likely to be available, and he had an interview with Detroit at the combine that both sides spoke positively of. On top of that, he's a known friend of both Jackson and Drummond, and Van Gundy is looking to put together a front unit defined by youth and cohesion. Unless a windfall comes the Pistons' way, expect them to settle down with Johnson this June.
Justise Winslow, Duke
Hope you get lucky, Motor City. This is that windfall we were speaking of. Winslow is likely to go within the top five, but with the rising stock of Porzingis and Hezonja (in tandem with the unpredictable nature of many of the comical front offices ahead of the Pistons) Justise just might drop to within their range. If he does, he's a dream. A physical, skilled forward who can shoot and defend with intensity, he'd be the perfect player to take this team to the highest echelon of the NBA's future contenders.
