Pistons Draft Primer: Pre-Lottery
The Pistons are in a very unique situation this off-season, coming off of their worst season in franchise history. It has been four years into the ‘restoration process’ that Troy Weaver kicked off in 2020 but with no tangible improvement in the win-loss column, fans and the organization alike are looking towards a summer of improvement.
With an intriguing collection of talent and 60+ million in cap space this summer, the team will be looking at going in a new direction to help improve their record next year under the guidance of a new President of Basketball Operations. This could mean the roster can completely change, and they may even choose to leverage their top 5 pick in trades to help the roster now.
There is far too much to project with how this upcoming Pistons roster ends up over this summer. For that reason, we here at Pistons Fleet decided to create this draft primer to showcase how each prospect can fit on the current team and we operated under the assumption that the current nucleus of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, and Isaiah Stewart will remain.
Unlike a regular ranked board, we decided to use ranges based on where the Pistons could fall and identify what players would be worthwhile taking in that range. This was also a composite of multiple Fleet members’ boards, including a couple of scouts we have on our team.
Let’s get into it.
May 10th 2024 | Pistons Fleet Team
Picks 1 - 2:
Regardless of how you feel about the top-end talent of this class, if the Pistons draw a top 2 pick in the lottery, they should still look to draft BPA (Best Prospect Available). Why? As a team that finished with less than 15 wins, it is paramount that the Pistons use draft capital this high to get the best possible talent available to them, especially considering their lack of assets outside of their previous top 5 picks. To put it into perspective, not taking BPA this high would be the equivalent of the Timberwolves not taking Anthony Edwards at 1 because they already had Andrew Wiggins on the wings in 2020. Where would that franchise be if they operated under that notion?
Alex Sarr has been at the top of draft boards for most of the cycle, and there is good reason for that. The 7’1” big man playing in the NBL this past year is probably the best combination of the best prospect available and long-term fit with the Pistons. Sarr is a walking mismatch with his size, combining fluid movement off the catch with touch and length. His strengths include being extremely switchable and covering ground defensively at that size while showing some versatility as an offensive big who can shoot, handle, and pass. Sarr may be shooting 28.1% from 3 in the NBL, but there is reason to believe he will shoot long-term with his current touch inside the arc, energy transfer, and shooting confidence.
The fit early on between Sarr, Thompson, Duren, Ivey, and Cunningham can be difficult to see due to the lack of shooting gravity on the floor, but as Sarr’s shot improves and so does the rest of the cores’ it will be a lot easier to see how the Pistons can play those 5 together. A creative coach can run a system that works off of Duren-Sarr high-low actions, where the Pistons guards can operate off of the gravity the bigs create to find easy buckets in the half-court. Early on, it would make more sense to use Sarr as the backup big to ease him into NBA play and play him with a lineup with more spacing. Eventually playing with guys like Duren, Stewart, and Thompson would also help Sarr immensely long term, making his flaws as a rebounder less prevalent and allowing him to play more as a weakside shot blocker rather than a pure anchor in drop defense.
Ron Holland was initially one of the headliners of the class and the second-ranked recruit in the country before his season with the G League Ignite. Most mock drafts have him being picked later in the draft, but we here at Pistons Fleet believe he is a prospect the Pistons can not pass up on.
Holland had a tumultuous season, with offensive efficiency that does not look eye-popping but he easily has one of the highest ceilings in the class. He struggled with his handle and shooting, but for someone who will still be 18 on draft night, and was hampered by the Ignite’s spacing and personnel, Holland’s tape popped. A walking paint touch with the potential to be an All-NBA defender at 6’ 7”, the Pistons have both the need for his talent and archetype within their current roster construction.
When the Pistons did not have Ausar Thompson on the court, they had zero positive NBA defenders on the court and this led them to be one of the worst defenses in the NBA. With a lack of personnel that could contain drives, it would bleed into the ability to protect the rim as bigs like Duren and Stewart would then have to switch and contain the drive. Ron Holland would be the best option for the Pistons to add a wing-stopper to help improve this, whether that's through free agency or the rest of the draft. To top it all off, you get a growing creator who can end up being one of the best offensive players on the Pistons down the lane, testing defenses with his combination of burst and size as an off-the-catch scorer in the short term. Similar to Sarr, the offensive fit can be rough early on but they can play him off the bench in more spaced lineups, allowing him to develop effectively and give the Pistons nucleus more space as well.
Picks 3 - 5:
At this point in the draft, due to the strength of this draft and the Pistons' urgency, the team should start to look at the best available players that have the most synergistic fit with the current nucleus.
Many will freak out for the next month or so due to Buzelis’ 3-point percentage on the G League Ignite this past season as Buzelis failed to reach 30% from beyond the long line in his first season playing pro ball. I understand, but that number could be a bit misleading when profiling his shooting outlook. Buzelis shot well over 40% from 3 as a Senior at Sunrise Christian and has long been an excellent free throw shooter. I feel comfortable betting on Buzelis’ jumper as the key to unlocking his expansive offensive repertoire.
It was a rather ugly season for the Ignite, but Buzelis showcased a flawed but tantalizing skillset at 6’10”. As a driver, Buzelis uses his length, handle, and craft to generate decent looks at the rim. Added strength will benefit Buzelis greatly inside the arc - Buzelis doesn’t shy away from contact but doesn’t handle it particularly well either. Buzelis’ overall offensive impact could benefit greatly from developing into a cromulent screener, in my opinion.
Buzelis’ athleticism shines in the open floor, where Buzelis can find value as a grab-and-go transition initiator, or running the floor off the ball. I’d consider Buzelis a far better open-floor athlete than a half-court athlete, though his movement skills pop regardless.
Buzelis is a strong passer for his size who can thrive in a connective role. Not the level of passer (or driver) to be relied on to create advantages consistently, but I believe in Buzelis’ decision-making and overall feel - a quality that bleeds through Buzelis’ timely cutting as well.
Defensively, Buzelis is a very capable secondary rim protector who’s become reliable in rotation and scramble situations. I do think Matas has shown enough that he won’t be a huge negative on the ball for long, and added strength will do wonders when tasked with guarding some of the bigger wings in the league.
To wrap things up, Matas is the type of 2020’s big wing the Pistons have never had: a player with size who can dribble, pass, shoot, play a role defensively, and wear multiple hats offensively. In the long term, Matas gives the Pistons another ballhandler to take the pressure off creators like Cunnigham and Ivey. Buzelis’ skills could see him catching short rolls with a big/Ausar in the dunker spot. This is the type of wing who plays whether you want to go small or big, a player that wll always be valuable.
Zaccharie Risacher is a 19-year-old French forward who is currently playing for JL Bourg in the LNB Elite Pro-A league in France. The argument for Risacher to the Pistons is a simple one. Standing at a reported 6’9” and weighing in at 210 pounds, he may be the best theoretical “fit” for the Pistons of any player in the draft. As it currently stands, Risacher best projects as a 3&D wing/forward, which may be the Pistons’ biggest need going into this off-season. Though, I do think this label can take away from the allure of him as a prospect.
To me, Risacher’s current best quality is his defense. At his listed height with a recorded slightly positive wingspan, his ability to slide his feet combined with his change direction immediately stands out. He shows the ability to smother wings and some guards, sometimes all the way out to the halfcourt line in a high-level French professional league.
Risacher is also more than effective defensively off the ball, showing good ability and understanding of the defensive game plan and offensive tendencies. He can rotate and help from the weak side. He can stay connected chasing shooters around screens. He uses his length well in passing lanes and on digs. Risacher is consistently on time with his defensive reads and is just generally in the correct place and position on the court at the right time.
Risacher is only a decent vertical athlete and still in need of strength development, though, he more than makes up for that with his size, feel, effort, and activity. While he may never be a high-level weakside rim protector, or able to truly switch on the ball 1-4, he is as strong and safe of a defensive prospect as they come.
Offensively, most of Risacher’s value currently comes off the ball at the moment.
Risacher projects as an above-average shooter, especially in catch-and-shoot situations. With consistent footwork, ready hands, and a high and quick release, he has shown he is capable of taking and making shots, even over strong contests. Risacher has also flashed some additional shooting versatility, running off screens, shooting off relocations, etc.
Risacher has also shown a strong understanding of when and where to cut within the offense. From back cuts, and shake-ups to just simple relocations, Risacher’s feel for finding space and openings on the court is apparent. While he may not be the flashiest scorer, or most dynamic ball handler or creator at the moment, it is easy to imagine him fitting a role within an NBA offense very early into his career.
Personally, without an unseen handle/scoring development, I believe most of Risacher's off-ball offensive upside revolves around his long-term shooting outcome. Risacher can handle some off-second side actions and in transition, and has shown some shot creation and playmaking flashes in the past, but the sample is too small to project much creation upside on him.
While I have very little doubt he will be an NBA contributor throughout his career, his supposed “limited upside” may make the selection seem like a reach down the line. Though, sometimes the safe pick can also be the correct one, and at this point, the Pistons don’t have any more room to miss.
Out of all of the 2024 draft prospects, a good case can be made that Reed Sheppard - the hyper-productive Kentucky Wildcat shooting guard - has the most unique statistical profile.
His box score of 12.5/4.1/4.5/2.5/.7 doesn’t pop eyes per se, but Sheppard was able to score at a ridiculously efficient mark of 69.9% TS; Sheppard did so on 53.6/52.1/83.1 shooting splits and a 54.8% three-point attempt rate. The latter is a value seen by very few volume scorers but matched or exceeded by legitimate rotation sharpshooters such as Michael Porter Jr, Trey Murphy III, Donte DiVincenzo, and Derrick White. Whether it is catch-and-shoot three pointers or dribble jumpers, Sheppard can convert both in effective fashion - shooting 51.4% from the field on both shot types according to Synergy Sports. Spot-up play types were Sheppard’s primary attack as a Wildcat. On 109 total possessions, Sheppard put up 1.51 PPP on his spot-ups and hit 54.3% of his 81 total three-point attempts.
The scoring chops don’t end there, as Sheppard was able to shoot 60% on runners and 52.8% on mid-range jumpers. If there is one area that lags behind the rest, it is Sheppard’s rim scoring: only converting layups at a 57.9% clip. There certainly are concerns with how Sheppard’s efficiency may carry itself to the NBA (primarily facing better defenders and schemes, some questionable athleticism and positional size), but it isn’t hard to envision Sheppard fitting into a hybrid on/off-the-ball role as a guard as he gets his feet wet in the NBA. Playing alongside volume playmakers like Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey would alleviate the concern of Sheppard scaling down into a high-quality shot diet.
Sheppard was able to complement his video-game caliber scoring with a solid playmaking arsenal, demonstrated by a 4.5 assist-per-game average and a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. Although seldom serving as the primary ball-handler solving set defenses, Sheppard showed some flashes of being able to create advantages out of ball screens. Sheppard’s biggest value-add as a playmaker, however, was one that built off his shotmaking threat. With teams consistently having to respect his shooting threat, Sheppard was able to attack close-outs well to force a defensive rotation and make the proper read (more skip passes than rim assists, granted) immediately afterward. Being able to extend advantages and capitalize off of a warped defense is something vital for Sheppard to do to play himself into a starter role for any solid NBA offense. In the context of the Pistons roster, Sheppard could serve as a consistent advantage attacker or extender.
Cody Williams is a 6’8, 19-year-old long, lanky, and athletic wing out of the University of Colorado. In his lone season in Boulder, Cody Williams was the definition of efficiency, finishing with an impressive 62 TS%, albeit on generally low volume, especially from beyond the arc. While Williams fit alongside Cade Cunningham and the Pistons core isn’t as clear as some of the other players mocked near him, his upside is quite projectable. If the Pistons FO doubles down on development this off-season, drafting Williams may be a compelling option.
Most of Cody Williams’ current appeal is based on his impressive slashing and finishing ability. In his 24 games this season, Williams attempted 91 shots at the rim and converted an insane 74%(!!!) of those attempts. With his long strides and wingspan, along with his above-average handling for a wing his size, Williams consistently contorts his body around awaiting defenders and finishes high with touch from all angles. While he likely needs to add strength to fully actualize this skill at the next level, the sample is intriguing.
Shooting and overall shotmaking are where most of the concern lies for Williams. While the three-point shooting percentage is impressive, the volume is leaving much to be desired, which is why general box score stats can be so deceiving. Frankly, the number of attempts is far too small to come to any definite conclusions. Williams’ jumper isn’t broken mechanically by any means, but the release isn’t the quickest, he is quite stiff in the upper body and he doesn’t get much elevation.
At the moment, he really only takes open catch-and-shoot attempts, as the pull-up game has quite a ways to develop before it is actually tangible in NBA action. He struggles to create much space on the ball, and even when he does, the percentages still aren’t great. However, he has shown great ability on floaters and other touch shots outside the restricted area, which gives optimism for future shooting/shot-making development.
Williams is a good and willing playmaker for a wing his size and can weaponize the threat of his scoring off drives to create plays for others. He is also effective off-ball, finding gaps in defenses to cut and relocate for easy looks.
Cody Williams at least projects to be a good defender, and while he isn’t the best vertical or horizontal athlete, he can make up for that with his length and timing on the perimeter. Williams’ screen navigation could use some work, as sometimes he can get stuck going over the top, and while he may never become a true stopper defensively, he has the tools to be well above average on that front.
Off the ball, Williams can make rotations, digs, and stunts within the defense, and with his length, smarts, and athleticism he should be able to be more than effective in these areas in the future. At times he can get lost and caught either ball-watching or completely ignoring the ball and his help responsibilities, though those problems should resolve themselves over time. Most of Williams' current issues defensively seem to be largely fixable over time, and as long as he is drafted into an environment where his skillset can be properly utilized I don’t have many concerns. While Williams may not have the high-level upside defensively as others in this class, his defensive projection is still quite appealing.
Picks 6 -14 | Trading Down The Lottery:
Johnny Furphy is a 6’9” wing/forward who played this past season with the Kansas Jayhawks. He is a perfect fit for what the Pistons need with their core, providing spacing as a shooter off the catch and off of movement. Furphy hustles on both ends of the floor with his size and length. An effective offensive rebounder, transition weapon, and good cutting in the half-court allows Furphy to scale effectively with the Pistons' core of young players. The statistical profile portrays this as well: shooting 36% from 3 on a 3-point rate of 60.7%, an offensive rebound rate of 6.6%, and an efficiency of 70.2 TS% on all transition field goals.
While limited to an off-ball role at Kansas, Furphy’s pre-college tape reveals more on-ball usage that he can eventually tap into using his combination of flexibility and strength as a driver. This culmination of fit and potential on-ball upside makes Furphy someone the Pistons should target high in this class.
Defensively, Furphy has shown some great moments containing drives and guarding larger players like wings or forwards. He struggled to contain guards and navigating screens, often getting blown by. However at the NBA level, with added strength, Furphy should be a strong help defender and effective at guarding players closer to his stature like wings and forwards.
Overall, Furphy brings a lot to the table as an offensive player and while he has not been mocked this high, he could be the exact wing the Pistons have been looking for to complement their core. The Pistons’ identity seems to be handling and strong offensive rebounding across all positions, and Furphy synergistically fits with this idea both in the short term and long term.
Like his former teammates on the 2023-24 G League Ignite team, Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis, Tyler Smith is another uniquely skilled wing - with a game much more predicated on playing like a forward. Measuring in at 6’11” and 225 pounds, Smith has been able to further parlay his size with solid shot-making. Playing in a context with very little volume playmaking and advantage creation, Tyler Smith was able to knock down 36% of his 4 three-point attempts per game (with slightly above a 40% three-point attempt rate). With that being said, it is worth noting that a fair share of his diet on threes came from catch-and-shoot jumpers, making 38% of them. On the other hand, while this is prone to small sample bias, Smith was only able to convert 3 of his 12 dribble jumpers. While Smith demonstrated little ability creating his own shot beyond the arc, there are flashes of a more complete game as a 2-point scorer. Playing within the flow of offensive sets once again, Smith showed the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to his spots in general for mid-range shots - being able to convert roughly 41% of them. This is a mark that certainly could improve with more repetition and NBA-level coaching, but by no means a bad starting point. The final component of Smith’s off-ball scoring arsenal is his ability to score at the rim. Whether in transition, cutting to the basket, or playing as the roll-man in various pick-and-roll actions, Smith has the frame and athleticism to finish high-quality shots right by the basket. With a lot of his value offensively being held off the ball (a night and day difference compared to his passing skills and self-creation), some fine-tuning could certainly be had for Smith. Some of these include becoming a better shooter from beyond the arc and a better screener. Regardless, the early-career production and upside as a complementary, scalable piece on offense makes Smith an intriguing pick, only being 19 years old as well.
One component the Pistons certainly could look to add to their offense, particularly at the forward positions, is players who check both boxes of spacing and athleticism. Being able to trade for Simone Fontecchio from the Jazz was a step in the right decision, but more steps could be taken here. In a role on the Pistons and playing off of Cade Cunningham & Jaden Ivey, it is likely Smith would log all of his minutes at the power forward position.
Defensively, Smith would be best deployed in any team context in a low-man, defensive helper sort of role. Through his time playing for G League Ignite, his instincts improved and he demonstrated translatable value as an event creator on defense. With his size and athleticism making him hard to get around and create separation on as well, Smith fared decently guarding drives. Alongside some of the Pistons roster, there is potential for a switchable scheme on defense with Smith slotted in alongside the likes of Quentin Grimes, Simone Fontecchio, Ausar Thompson, and Isaiah Stewart. With that said Smith could certainly struggle in a situation that makes it harder to hide some of his defensive lapses. Two of these, in particular, could be Smith being slotted as a center and primary rim protector in smaller lineups and being tasked to chase both shooters and rim runners in ball-screen actions where he tends to struggle navigating screens. The defensive side of the ball paints somewhat a similar picture on offense for Smith, as there are certain tools a GM would covet - but some work needs to be done with regards to addressing his weaknesses.
Dalton Knecht is a 23-year-old wing out of the University of Tennessee. At 6’6 and 213 pounds, Knecht is perhaps the best shooter available in this years draft class. In his last two collegiate seasons, Knecht has taken an absurd 434 three-pointers and made an impressive 39% of those attempts. In the 2023-2024 NBA season, Detroit Pistons ranked 25th in three-point percentage, making just under 35% of their three-pointers, while also ranking 27th in three-point attempts per game. To put it simply, the Pistons desperately need to add shooting this off-season, and Knecht more than fits that bill.
Dalton Knecht is a certified SHOOTER, and the rest of his offense is mostly predicated by his elite ability to take and make three-pointers. From stationary catch and shoot and off-movement in both directions, to self-created off-the-dribble attempts, Knecht has taken and made every type of three-point shot imaginable. Knecht has a smooth, easy jump shot with a quick, high release and clean footwork and has shown to be capable of getting it off in any situation, over any contest. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if Knecht proved to be one of the better shooters in the league quite early into his career.
Tennessee mostly used Knecht in an off-ball role. Flying off screens and pin downs, either to shoot off movement or curl and attack tilted defenses, and this is likely the same role he will play at the next level. However, Knecht has also shown some additional second-side or more general on-ball capabilities, though in limited samples. While on-ball creation is not likely what will be asked of him at the next level, this is undeniably a useful skill to have in the back pocket to help take advantage of his scoring capabilities.
Knecht’s vertical athleticism and more than competent ball handling combined with his shooting prowess project him as an elite off-ball scorer. Either shooting over defenders, attacking trailers and strong closeouts, or backcutting and finishing well above the rim.
Knecht has shown some ability to score and create on the ball and was a late bloomer, though, with only average ball handling, along with his lack of layered playmaking and draft age, it is hard to project too much upside in this area. Regardless, I have no doubts Knecht will contribute offensively to some extent at the next level.
Defense is by far the biggest concern in Dalton Knecht’s overall game. While he did carry a large usage and scoring load for the Volunteers this season, there were far too many instances of lack of engagement, consistency, and overall ability to be very high on defensively going forward.
On the ball, Knecht doesn’t have great lateral quickness to stick with quicker ball handlers and can struggle to chase over screens and through chaos. He can stick with some wings and forwards at times, but he is likely not someone who you want to have to rely on consistent guarding on an island. He can make general rotations and reads within the defense, but he also provides almost no defensive creation production (i.e. steals and blocks), limiting his upside on this end.
If the Pistons were to draft Knecht, they would have to be confident in his ability to eventually become competent defensively. While his fit alongside Cade Cunningham and the rest of the core is undeniable, the Pistons were one of the worst defensive teams in the league last year, and adding another potentially negative defender to the mix may be troubling, despite the needed shooting.
Rob Dillingham was an offensive supernova this past college season, coming off the bench for the Kentucky Wildcats. Although he is only 6’ 2”, Dillingham is a true 3-level scorer and the best shooter in the draft class. He shines with his extremely shifty dribble and shooting off the dribble.
For context, Dillingham has made 43.8% of his 3s this past season and a scorching 37.9% off the dribble over 58 attempts. This past season, the Pistons had a strong need for a player who could bring this shooting gravity, and this would often lead to their reliance on players like Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic. Unlike those two players, Dillingham is a strong passer and can consistently make decisions at a quick rate. This allows him to scale effectively next to the Pistons’ bigger ballhandlers like Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson.
Defensively, saying Dillingham is not a good defender might be an understatement. As a smaller player, there is only so much you can do as a defender, and Dillingham emphasizes that issue with his strength and lack of awareness off the ball. For this reason, the fit starts to become more difficult to envision even though Dillingham has one of the highest offensive ceilings in the class.
If the Pistons trade down, Dillingham should definitely be on their boards as one of the best prospects available. However, the redundancy between small guards like Marcus Sasser, Jaden Ivey, and Quentin Grimes certainly makes it a difficult proposition for the Pistons.
Clingan enters the 2024 draft as one of the primary drivers for the University of Connecticut’s back-to-back NCAA championships. Clingan’s name has spiked up on a fair share of big boards through an excellent sophomore campaign that saw his responsibility and production skyrocket.
Measuring in at 7’2” and 265 pounds, Clingan’s most tangible value proposition comes on the defensive end as one of the best rim protectors in the modern era of college basketball. In both of his seasons, Clingan was able to hold opponents to under a field goal percentage 44% - a top mark amongst many elite defensive prospects in the modern day (e.g. Jaren Jackson Jr, Evan Mobley, Chet Holmgren). Watching Donovan Clingan defend matches seamlessly with his stats on that side of the ball. Clingan can move rather well for somebody of his stature and has the instincts to match his physical capabilities on defense. Primarily deployed in deep drop coverage and as a roamer camping under the basket, Clingan also has some ability to guard in space and successfully deters ball handlers on drives.
On the offensive side of things, he offers utility as a roll-man, in the dunkers’ spot, and cleaning/converting well on second-chance opportunities. However, his overall offensive role in the NBA may be limited to just those aforementioned play-types rather than a post-up scorer as he fails to recognize size mismatches under the basket at times. Only a 57% Free-throw shooter and with barely any attempts shooting the ball, the spacing value Clingan offers is as a high-motor screener, roller, and a strong passer for his position.
Some of these skills can allow him to be a consistently played rotation big. However, he would likely be unplayable with Jalen Duren due to the horizontal spacing but there is some potential to share minutes alongside Isaiah Stewart. Furthermore, some concerns exist with the minute load Clingan could handle at the NBA level. As a sophomore, he only played 22.5 minutes per game out of 40, a relatively low mark for a touted semi-high lottery prospect. For any team who would be willing to invest in Donovan Clingan, like the Pistons, a plan to maximize the minutes he comes in and to make him one of the better bench or situational starter big-men in the league ought to be in place. In the right situation, however, Clingan’s defensive prowess and ability to mesh well with all sorts of guards could make him a shrewd dart toss.
Filipowski is a versatile, floor-stretching big whose skills aren’t replicated by any big on the Pistons.
As a Sophomore at Duke, ‘Flip’ shot the 3 at a 34% clip while showcasing a well-rounder perimeter skillset consisting of promising drives, sharp passing, and hints of mismatch mauling at 7’ tall. It’s easy to see how seamlessly Filipowski can fit into the modern NBA. While no single skill may jump off the page, Filipowski’s skillset translates to being a strong contributor in a complementary role.
Filipowski was extremely productive in college highlighted by his stellar rebounding numbers next to an efficient 15.8/game plus a steal and a block.
Defensively, it’s tough to project Filipowski anchoring an above-average defense outside of a great context at the 5, but Filipowski has just enough athleticism, feel, and size to hang at the next level. Filipowski appears most comfortable in drop where his length, footwork, and timing keep him competitive. Although still above average for a seven-footer, I worry that Filipowski’s lack of lateral mobility limits his defensive versatility. However, pairing him with a roaming 4 to patrol the backline and shrink the floor could patch up the problem Flip may face when playing more extensive coverages.
Tidjane Salaun is a late-rising 6’10 forward with a 7’1 inch wingspan who archetypally makes sense on the Pistons. Salaun will be amongst the youngest players drafted in 2024, and his one-line sell is simple: size, shooting, and functional athleticism running on a deluxe engine. What separates Salaun from every other big athletic wing, and what could the 18-year-old French forward bring to the pistons?
While Salaun ended the season a touch under 32% from three for his club Cholet in France’s LNB Pro A league, Salaun’s volume and sustained stretches of efficient three-point shooting give more than reasonable cause for confidence. The 18-year-old shot 81.1% from the charity stripe this season and pieced together a 25-game sample shooting 36% from beyond the arc. He’s not a nuclear shooter but being a dependable catch-and-shoot threat relatively quickly will be key to getting Salaun’s physical gifts onto an NBA floor.
His overall offensive game as of now is limited to finishing plays. Fortunately, someone has to finish plays and in my opinion, Salaun’s knack for cutting into open space compliments his skillset in an off-ball role really well. Salaun’s activity as a cutter (sometimes it feels too active) is garnished by his offensive rebounding chops, and that blend creates a lot of utility off the ball at every bit of 6’10.
On the ball, Salaun has major steps to take. The handle feels loose and the decision-making is poor, though he’s a willing passer generally trying to make the correct play. His drives are an adventure, often producing poor results–but I could see a world where it rounds into form given his coordination at his size.
However much value you hold in how hard a guy plays, Salaun’s got it in spades. Nothing jumps off the tape for Salaun like his energy on both ends. Defensively, Salaun is essentially just a pool of tools. He tends to get blown by and consistently misses rotations, albeit in a defensive context that I do not think helps him out a ton. Salaun’s ability to cover ground with his size and the excellent motor that he plays with make the defensive outlook pretty bright in the long term. It’s easy to imagine Salaun’s length translating as a secondary rim protector, but it probably will take a while for Salaun to bake into the level of defender you want to see in a playoff rotation.
I like Salaun in the back of this lottery, however, it’s tough to see a Pistons team and fanbase parched for quick returns to take that chance. A lot of his functionality is theoretical as of today, and while I’m a believer in his skills translating to winning basketball – his competitiveness aids that. Detroit’s vision just isn’t the ideal context for Salaun to blossom.
Picks 14 - 60 |Second Round Steals:
Isaiah Crawford might be the most under-the-radar player we have here on the board, but we here at Fleet believe that Crawford is a lottery talent, especially for the Pistons. Playing at Louisiana Tech this past year, Crawford is a 6’6” wing/forward who provides extremely versatile defense and a little of everything on offense. Tasked with the brunt of the creation load for his team, Crawford uses crafty creation moves to live in the midrange where he shot 39.4% on a 92.3 unassisted rate. Crawford is extremely strong and he can carve space in addition to his craft with strength on drives, often bullying guys out of the way to find finishing angles and space for his midrange shot. He also has touch from the perimeter as well, where he has shot 40.4% in his college career (287 attempts.) Crawford’s feel shines on both ends of the court, processing decisions quickly as a connector and positioning himself on defense.
The strength also exudes itself on the defensive side of the ball as well, where he is an extremely effective weak-side rim protector and post-up defender. He combines this tremendous strength, elite hand-eye coordination, and 7’3” wingspan to stifle ballhandlers and deter shots at the rim consistently. Crawford can slide his feet laterally as well but would not be optimized guarding shorter, more explosive players.
At the NBA level, with the Pistons specifically, Crawford would be scaled to a more off-ball role. This would reduce his creation load and allow him to operate more as an off-the-catch scorer, where his creation skills would translate to counters on drives. Having a wing that can protect the rim when players like Ausar and Duren are brought into action, Crawford’s presence on the back line should help improve Detroit’s defense drastically while not losing much on offense as he can effectively space the floor.
Other Second Round Targets:
Jaylon Tyson (6’7” dribble-pass-shoot wing.)
Nique Clifford (6’6” 3&D wing.)
Jamir Watkins (6’7” 3&D wing.)
Pacome Dadiet (6’9” dynamic shooting wing.)
KJ Simpson (6’2” Swiss army knife guard.)
Ajay Mitchell (6’5” secondary ball handler.)