3 Prospects The Detroit Pistons Should Avoid In The 2024 NBA Draft
The Detroit Pistons need to use the 5th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on a key rotation piece, not another project that will take years to develop.
The NBA Draft is just three weeks away.
In a draft class lacking the high-end talent so often coveted at the top, teams will be looking for players with a mix of potential and fit rather than franchise-altering prospects.
The Detroit Pistons are no different, especially after dropping to 5th in the draft order.
I’ve already highlighted a pair of prospects that appear to be good fits with Detroit — Dalton Knecht and Donovan Clingan.
Today, I will be focusing not on who Detroit should take, but rather on who they should avoid in a draft class full of uncertainty.
Nikola Topić
There are a number of reasons Detroit should distance itself from Topic.
Topić is a point guard. The Pistons already have a point guard.
He does not possess the necessary attributes to play off the ball either. He shot just 30.6% from the 3-point line in 23 games this year.
He needs the ball in his hands to be the best version of himself. He’s a plate setter for others and does most of his damage manipulating defenses with the ball at his fingertips.
Topić also suffered a pair of left knee injuries that are a cause for concern. He hasn’t been performing basketball activities since suffering his most recent injury in Game 1 of the AdmiralBet ABA League Finals versus Partizan Mozzart Bet, which we know now is a partially torn ACL according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
It’s not that he won’t be a useful player in the NBA. I’m sure he will, but between Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, there isn’t a significant enough role available for Topić to come in and contribute.
Detroit can do better than spending a top-five pick on a player who would likely be their backup point guard.
Ron Holland
A key focus for the new president of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon will be to maximize the roster around Cade Cunningham.
His predecessor struggled to do so year after year. As Cunningham enters his fourth season in the league, Langdon does not have the same leeway to dilly-dally as Troy Weaver did.
That being said, as intriguing of a prospect as Ron Holland is for teams looking to take a swing on a higher-upside player in the draft, the Pistons can’t afford to be that team.
He’s a high-energy, defensive-minded wing who struggled with offensive efficiency this past season for the G League Ignite.
While he is capable of finishing at the rim, due to his impressive size and athleticism, Holland shot just 23.9% from the 3-point line on 3.5 attempts per game.
He wasn’t particularly effective with the ball in his hands, either. He owned a 17.4 turnover percentage largely owed to being a poor decision-maker.
The Pistons certainly need help at the forward spot, but they need a more polished two-way wing more than they do another raw and unpolished prospect. Ausar Thompson already fills that role.
Holland makes more sense for teams like Portland, Charlotte, or Utah. These are teams that probably aren’t going to try to take the leap that Detroit says they want to next season. They can spend next season letting Holland develop and play through the many mistakes he is bound to make early on in his career.
Rob Dillingham
Okay, so I have covered an overseas prospect and a G League prospect so I might as well finish the trifecta and riff on an NCAA prospect as well.
I actually like Dillingham — a 6’3” guard that I’ve seen mocked as high as #3 and low as #15.
He can score in bunches, shoot from anywhere on the court, has playmaking chops, and brings an energy on the offensive end that is certainly valuable.
But he just doesn’t make sense for Detroit. While they need a backup point guard, it makes sense when looking at the current makeup of the roster that they target a veteran PG to help bolster their backcourt.
The Pistons are heavily rumored to target Kings guard Malik Monk in free agency this summer. If they were to bring in a veteran point guard alongside Monk, there would be no minutes for Dillingham.
If Detroit does use the 5th pick, they need to use it on a player they feel comfortable committing a rotation spot to immediately. That is why drafting a forward or center makes much more sense.
Moving Forward
First off, I think all the players I discussed above have a future in the league. Like all the *top* prospects in this draft, these players have a variety of translatable strengths to go along with glaring weaknesses that keep them from being can’t-miss prospects.
For the Pistons, drafting a wing that can play minutes for them on opening night — Zaccharie Risacher or Dalton Knecht — or a defensive-minded big like Donovan Clingan, should be of the utmost priority.