The Detroit Pistons slugged their way to a 29-53 record on the year which was good for a fourth place finish in the Central Division. The Pistons struggled all season long and were just terrible for prolonged stretches during the season.
The pairing of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond in the Motor City certainly seems to be paying off as Drummond fits nicely into the center spot which allows for Monroe to play in a more comfortable power forward role. This duo is the cornerstone of the franchise and all building and successive pieces must be brought in to complement these guys.
The Brandon Knight point guard experiment is over in Detroit as new head coach Maurice Cheeks envisions Knight more so as a combo-guard who will primarily play out of the two spot. With Knight as the shooting guard the Pistons are in need of a point guard. Jose Calderon might be the answer here; however, he is a free agent and the Pistons will need to make a decision on what they believe Calderon is worth.
Areas of Weakness
The Pistons need some backcourt help as well as a versatile wing man who can knock down jumpers and play solid perimeter defense. If they deem Calderon expendable then the point guard spot becomes an immediate priority. Should the Pistons resign Calderon then a wing player would take precedence here over a backup point guard.
Draft Projections
General Manager Joe Dumars has been touting Indiana’s Cody Zeller of late. Dumars seems to be enthralled with the big man’s skills and mobility and while this may all be true I just can’t imagine drafting a big when Monroe and Drummond are established on the front-line already. I think the Zeller talk is probably a smoke screen as Dumars should be draft day shopping for a guard.
If he is still on the board, the best fit for the Pistons would be another Hoosier in Victor Oladipo. This versatile 6’4” guard is known for his tough defense and high energy. He measures well with a 6’9” wingspan to complement his 42” vertical jump. Oladipo is a tough-nosed on ball defender who demonstrated shutdown capability in the collegiate ranks. This guy is coveted among the teams holding draft picks in the middle of the draft and he might be off the board come the eighth pick.
If Oladipo is off the board then Dumars will likely be left with C.J. McCollum who would still be a nice fit. This point guard from Lehigh University has generated quite a bit of draft buzz as teams hunt for that next Damian Lillard-like small college gem. McCollum isn’t a true point guard as he looks to create his shot and is content to pull up for jumpers. He is adept at penetrating the lane and scoring inside and out; what his college game lacked was any complementary offensive weapons and thusly his assist totals are unimpressive. The pro ranks will be quite a jump for McCollum, but if he can be brought along slowly for a year under the tutelage of Dumars and veteran point guard Calderon then McCollum could blossom into a very productive player.