Even though it is only January, things just wouldn’t be right without a WAY too early draft needs/prospects article. Just like other early draft speculation articles, the prospects I will list have only played in about 8-12 games a piece. Rankings can change as the season goes on, and so can team needs. With that being said, here are my way too early draft needs and my personal realistic wishlist for the Pistons.
This article will come in 4 installments of 3-4 players.
Note: All stats correct through January 12, shooting splits are FG%/3PT%/FT%. OWs/DWs = Offensive Win Shares/Defensive Win Shares
This article will cover prospects 7-9 on my board.
9. Jalen Wilson – SF, Kansas, Redshirt Freshman
2020-21 Stats: 14.7 PPG (49.2/38.9/66.1), 8.1 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.3 SPG, Win Shares (1.2/0.6)
Jalen Wilson is a very physically and offensively sound player for his position and age. The Kansas star is a 6’8, 215 pound small forward who excels at scoring in many ways. Wilson has a generally reliable three point shot, making them at a 38.9% rate. He also shows his ability to finish with and without contact often (his size definitely helps him do this). With his size and shooting touch, Wilson can be a great scorer at the NBA level, and his future three point shot will likely be even more lethal than it is in college.
Wilson is also a great rebounder for his position. He pulls down more rebounds than many players at the power forward and center positions, let alone small forwards. This rebounding skill to go with his size and shooting ability could give him versatility to play the power forward position in the NBA as well as small forward. Wilson is nothing special as a distributor, but he is not asked to take on that responsibility at Kansas due to veteran guards Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji sharing that role. Expect him to be picked by the early 2nd round of this year’s draft at the latest, though he would go much higher in a weaker draft.
8. Greg Brown – PF, Texas, Freshman
2020-21 Stats: 12.0 PPG (42.3/28.6/68.2), 7.9 RPG, 0.1 APG, 1.2 BPG, Win Shares (0.3/0.8)
Whichever team picks Greg Brown needs to know he likely will not be a star his rookie year. Brown is a very athletic wing with lots of promise on the offensive side, but has LOADS of potential that still needs to be unlocked. Brown’s most efficient offensive output comes from inside the arc. He is an electric scorer inside which is seen with his many dunks. He has shown that he can finish through contact well on top of his dunking ability.
Brown has a jumpshot that is not yet developed. His shot release is on the slower side and can definitely use work when it comes to efficiency. However, he has shown that he is not afraid to shoot the three ball, putting up almost the same amount of threes per game as he does twos (4.5 and 5.0 per game respectively).
Even though his offensive game needs work, Brown is an excellent rebounder, averaging 7.9 rebounds per game in just over 20 minutes per game. His defensive rebounding percentage is 29.1%, showing how good he is at getting rebounds for his team. Brown also uses his athleticism and length to good use when playing defense, as he is an avid shot blocker, and can defend well (as seen by his 0.8 defensive win shares thus far). Expect Brown to go in the mid-to-late first round as a project.
7. Scottie Barnes – PF, Florida State, Freshman
2020-21 Stats: 11.1 PPG (47.0/27.8/42.3), 3.9 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, Win Shares (0.3/0.3)
Scottie Barnes has a unique combination of size, guard skills, and defensive versatility. He is 6’9, 227 pounds and is listed by Sports Reference as a guard. Whatever team drafts him will likely get the tallest shooting guard in history, as Tracy McGrady was 6’8. This fact alone is very scary for opposing teams. Now throw in the fact that Barnes is already a great player at the college level, but has not even scratched the surface of his potential. Now that’s scary.
Barnes is a good scorer inside the arc, and although his outside shot isn’t there yet, it will grow with time. With that being said, Barnes game is still excellent without a good-to-great three point shot. He has the length to be an excellent rebounder at the NBA level, and can also use his length to guard four positions. At Florida State he has flashed the ability to hustle and get steals in his minutes, which further adds to the defensive potential.
With his already impressive game, Barnes is also an excellent passer. He averages 4.3 assists per game in about 26 minutes per game, and his assist rate is 34.7(!!!!!!!)%. Compared to his turnover rate of 17%, it makes this stat all the more impressive, especially for a Freshman guard. Barnes may not be the best college player as of right now, but he will be scary in the NBA, and has the skills to contribute to a team right away.
Piston Territory 