Detroit Pistons: Bruce Brown is Gone, My Draft Board

With the draft approaching, the Pistons have continued last year's roster demolition.

For a fleeting moment, the Detroit Pistons, prompted by an inconsequential trade, were at the center of the basketball world. New Pistons general manager Troy Weaver, lauded for his role in the roster savviness of the Oklahoma City Thunder as assistant GM, made his first of what seems to be many upcoming moves in his tenure.

Shooting guard Bruce Brown was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for small forward Dzanan Musa and a 2021 2nd-round pick (from Toronto). For a team being ripped down to the studs for an impending rebuild, asset acquisition is paramount. But this move does not portend any optimism for what Weaver can pull off later on.

Brown was by no means a star. He is not currently a starter-level player despite being one of the most cool-handed players in Detroit’s lineup. But he could do a little bit of everything and showed obvious improvement from his rookie year. He posted 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists last season, and raised his 3-point percentage from 25 percent to 34 percent. Brown was also the Pistons’ best on-ball defender, with no close second.

It is easy to fashion some sort of rationale for why this deal was made. Detroit isn’t a contender for the foreseeable future, so why not have a fire sale and get literally anything in return for players that you don’t see being on the roster? The probability of a positive return from this deal, however, seems so infinitesimally small that it’s hard to see how it was worth it compared to kicking the tires on Brown’s ceiling.

Nets fans literally made lowlight videos of Musa begging for him to get traded. Keep in mind, he was only drafted in 2018, 13 picks before Brown. He is due an extra $400,000 than Brown next season. A draft pick dependent on the Raptors’ 2021 record could be in the fifties. Brown’s hard-nosed style of play harkened back to the rough-and-tumble Detroit basketball that connected with fans. It’ll be sad to see it in Brooklyn, where he will practice against the craftiest ball-handler in the world in Kyrie Irving.

I am sure Weaver has more tricks up his sleeve. This move is ultimately not even close to a franchise-altering trade, so it’s useless to get too worked up. But maintaining hope for a franchise mired in mediocrity just got a little bit harder.

My Detroit Pistons Draft Board

With Bruce Brown headed to Brooklyn, the glut of guards in Detroit just got less crowded. I imagine any and every player on the roster is on the market now, which is fair because the Pistons could also use a little bit of everything to improve. This doesn’t make it any easier to project who Detroit will take, but we can come to some conclusions based on what the team truly needs to get jumpstarted as well as player workouts. With COVID protocols in place, teams can only host 10 in-person workouts. If we know who the Pistons used those spots on, it’s clear that they have an eye on that player.

There are no obvious stars in this draft, which is why pundits may deem it to be “weak,” but I absolutely love this class. There are a ton of role player types available that perfectly mesh with today’s style. There is as much potential in the 15th pick as the 45th pick. And for those that are lucky, there seem to be late lottery guys who could ascend to Devin Booker or Donovan Mitchell status with the right team.

Here are my top guys who I think could be available and fit with the Pistons with their first pick:

LaMelo Ball, Illawarra (Australia)

It was reported that three teams were at Ball’s most recent in-person workout - Golden State (pick 2), Charlotte (pick 3), and … Detroit (pick 7). Why would a team that is almost guaranteed to be out of Ball’s range even show up? The Pistons obviously have an interest in Ball, and fans should too.

Six-foot-7 playmakers don’t grow on trees. The pass-first mindset, while also being a fearless ball-handler can have its drawbacks, but his court vision is unparalleled in this draft class. It might be the standout trait that other players in this class don’t have relative to their peers. Detroit needs a playmaker, and Ball would fit in perfectly. This would likely require Detroit trading its No. 7 pick, Luke Kennard or Derrick Rose, and potentially another future asset to the Timberwolves or Hornets — a small consolation in the grand scheme.

His shooting mechanics and efficiency leave a lot to be desired. His defense does, too. But he has the body to improve on those skills. Where Detroit currently stands would allow Ball to work through those mistakes as he develops.

Yes, character matters. He reportedly has had “bad” interviews (whatever that means) and isn’t exactly dependent on NBA money to succeed. But I push back on notions of a player who “doesn’t want to be great.” And if there is any market that could make you rely on being a good player to shine, Detroit is it. If the opportunity to draft him exists, his star potential is too great to pass up.

Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State

It’s the economy, stupid! Sometimes, it’s best not to overthink things. Haliburton is a 6-foot-5 guard who can play on or off the ball. He demonstrated at Iowa State that he can be an innovative playmaker, drive to the hoop with unpredictable pace, and be a floor general. The stats and tape are there — he averaged 15-6-6 on 61-percent shooting.

Haliburton isn’t overly athletic or explosive, but he is still shifty enough to navigate the court. He is a player you can trust to take the ball up the court and keep the ball on a string. He can shoot the 3 and from the line.

His lack of explosiveness makes it difficult for him to create space and be the primary shot creator, but he still projects as a foundational piece to any team. He might not make a bad team good, but he can make a good team great. The lack of shooters on Detroit could stymy his potential, but he would be a rock-steady player who could fill in immediately.

Killian Hayes, Ulm (Germany)

Hayes may get the “Luka bump” as a play-making point guard coming from Europe, but he has shown flashes of star potential at just 18 years old. He has good size as a 6-foot-5 ball-handler and shot almost 88 percent from the free-throw line — a positive indicator of 3-point potential. It is actually a better predictor of next-level 3-shooting than 3-point percentage, where Hayes played through mistakes and shot just 29 percent.

He is slippery with the basketball, making him a potential pick-and-roll killer with good awareness to find a man in the corner or the rolling big man. Defensively, his length projects him to be able to size up well against the opposing ‘1’ or ‘2’.

It all sounds fine and dandy, but his weaknesses are apparent. He is left-hand dominant, which makes for relatively remedial handles. In other words, he won’t be James Harden or Kyrie Irving. He also doesn’t have the Russell Westbrook bounciness to put defenders on their toes.

For a lead guard who could be ball-dominant, he will have to develop his outside shooting to be deemed a threat. A rebuilding team like Detroit would be happy to play through and iron out those mistakes if Hayes can reach that status. He is also French, and I am sure Sekou Doumbouya would be happy to have another young Frenchman on the team.

Patrick Williams, Florida State

Through my hours of scouring big boards and watching scouting videos, Williams is the enigma of the draft. The 6-foot-8 forward came off the bench for a really good Florida State team but has seen his stock shoot up to top-10 status. He averaged just nine points, four rebounds, and one assist in 22.5 minutes a game. But his potential is sky-high.

He could be a plus defender quickly. The story in the rumor mill is that his coach asked him what he wanted to improve on at the beginning of his freshman season and he said defense, a rarity for players vying for the league. His athletic frame is similar to Kawhi Leonard if that is any indication of why teams could envision a stout defender.

Offensively, he can space the floor, be used as a screener, shoot a jumper on the ball, or finish at the rim. He just isn’t particularly refined in any of those areas. He shot just 32 percent from beyond the arc, but 84 percent from the line, wink.

I think Williams’ soaring stock is warranted and the Pistons would be rightfully satisfied drafting him. My only concern is how he fits the Pistons’ rebuilding timeline, and if he can meet his potential without a true point guard going into the future. Weaver’s next moves could ease those concerns.

Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama

I don’t think Pistons fans would be happy with Lewis as the seventh pick given the other players projected to fall to Detroit, but I think he could turn out as the best guard of the draft. He reminds me of De’Aaron Fox with a better jump shot. He averaged 19 points, five boards, and five assists, with 37-percent 3-point shooting and 80-percent free-throw shooting.

Lewis can shoot out of a cannon up the court and accelerate to the hole with ease. That speed can lead to recklessness, but the flip side is the boundless opportunity for shot creation. In a more refined system with Dwane Casey, Lewis could easily play with a more controlled tempo and become a better playmaker.

He is only 6-foot-3, fitting the stereotypical mold of point guard compared to Ball, Hayes, or Haliburton. But he still has tape displaying solid on-ball defense and agility to force steals. His size, though, is an impediment when he gets switched.

Another positive with Lewis is the jump he made for his freshman year, notching an extra 2.3 assists, 2.2 boards, and 5.0 points in just six extra minutes per game. There is obvious room for growth given his wild west style of play, but I would be elated to see him in a Pistons jersey.