by
Reggie Jackson
Rebuilding is meant to be temporary, not ongoing and never ending.
Such is life in Auburn Hills where the Detroit Pistons prepare for Thursday night’s draft knowing that each move this franchise makes is critical to their quest back to hardwood relevance.
Thankfully, the cupboard is a bit less bare than its been in recent years.
Reggie Jackson was brought over from Oklahoma City and is poised to have a breakout campaign in 2015-16, the first in which he’ll have the ball in his hands from October to April.
Andre Drummond continues to mature, and let’s not forget that the kid is still just 21 years of age. If he can ever figure out a way to refine that offensive game just a little bit, and turn that 39% free throw stroke into something more in the 60-ish range, the guy could be one of the league’s most feared players.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope progressed nicely from rookie to sophomore status in the NBA. His comfort level should continue to rise and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see KCP scoring 15+ on a nightly basis this year (12.7 PPG in 14-15).
However, with Greg Monroe on the way out and Brandon Jennings possibly on the trading block coming off his Achilles injury, the rest of the roster is still very much a work in progress.
This leads right into tomorrow night, the NBA Draft, where the Pistons desperately need to find as much value as possible with their eighth overall selection.
Easier Said Than Done
In today’s basketball climate of one-year college players, teenagers coming from overseas, and single-digit college scorers earning lottery status, the unknown factor is higher than ever. Whereas in the past you’d draft a guy in the top ten and expect him to come in right away and contribute, now there is almost an understanding that it could be a couple of years before such on-court production takes place.
But the Pistons can’t really wait that long. The team has been in hibernation now for some time. They haven’t reached the playoffs since 2009, and haven’t won a playoff game since the year before that.
It’s not as if the upcoming season needs to culminate with a banner in the rafters and a parade down Woodward, but it should result in at least a return trip to the playoffs. This fan base has been patient. If not rewarded in some way at some point in the near future, you’re looking at a Palace that could be even more empty than it’s been, and that’s a terrifying thought.
The task is for Van Gundy to somehow comb through the freshman and the foreigners, the flaws and the foibles, and come away with the best fit for his Pistons.
Is Stanley Johnson the Pick?
Rumors have been buzzing that the selection could very well be Stanley Johnson, a freshman from Arizona. Johnson turned just 19 a few weeks ago, but his body is that of a fully-grown man. Johnson stands 6-foot-7 and weighs almost 245 pounds, which would instantly make him one of the league’s most physically imposing small forwards.
The dimensions are reminiscent of young LeBron James. If only he had the game to match. Johnson had a good but not great one-year career at ‘Zona. He scored 14 a game and shot reasonably well from the floor, but come tournament time when the play intensified and the opponents got better, Johnson faded into the background.
He converted just 1 of 12 against Ohio State in the round of 32, then turned in an invisible performance against Wisconsin in the Elite Eight (six points, three turnovers, fouled out).
The book on Johnson is that his offensive game will continue to evolve, but for now, you’re getting an NBA-ready small forward that can defend with vigor and finish around the rim. He also made good on 74% from the free throw line, a statistic that can’t be overlooked when you’re talking about a Pistons team that has been at the bottom of the league in that underrated category for several years.
It’s worth noting that Stanley’s positional opponent in the game versus Wisconsin, Sam Dekker, completely outplayed him, pouring in 27 points in a near-perfect display that sent the Badgers to the Final Four. Dekker was arguably the best player throughout the entire tournament, and despite most experts pegging him to go in the mid-teens range of the draft, the Pistons could do far worse than grabbing this polished 6’9” junior at number eight.
The Sweet Shooter from Croatia? The Ferocious Champ from Duke?
Mario Hezonja is a Croatian swingman with unlimited range, but recent projections suggest he’ll be snapped up by the time the Pistons take their turn.
Justise Winslow is loaded with energy and grit. He was a big reason Duke just gave Mike Krzyzewski his fifth national championship. But his 6’6” frame might be a bit small in the NBA for what brought him so much success in college, which was bullying his way inside and earning trips to the line. Plus, his first name is a spell check nightmare.
When the dust settles and the Pistons emerge from this draft with their new prize, there will naturally be fervent supporters and staunch detractors.
You might find a diamond in the rough like Tayshaun Prince or you could get stuck with a lemon like Rodney White. You never really know.
But it is the job of Van Gundy to do just that. To evaluate the past and predict the future.
He must know which of these flawed prospects will work out best for his club.
The Pistons have started to creep ever so slightly back to league-wide respectability since Stan the Man came on board. But they can’t afford another setback. The margin for error is too thin.
This could be a playoff team next year. It should be. It needs to be.
The reawakening of this dormant Detroit franchise continues tomorrow night.
