Every Detroit Pistons fan is weary of the NBA Draft. The event held every year in June is often a pivotal day where many teams hit the jackpot, get a solid player, or strike out and hit a bust. The Detroit Pistons have had their ups and downs in the draft for the last 20 years, but they seem to be on the right track with their recent selections and trades for young pieces.
In fact, recent draft picks like Andre Drummond (26) and Luke Kennard (23) have proceeded to make themselves household names in every Pistons fan’s household for their contributions to the team. Other notable young Pistons such as Bruce Brown (23), Christian Wood (24), and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (22) have already cemented places in the rotation, and new 2019 draft pick Sekou Doumbouya (18) is just getting started. In this article, I break down the upside of each young player mentioned above and analyze what it could mean for the team.
Andre Drummond:
2019-20 stats: 34.5 MPG, 19.9 PPG, 16.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 55.7% FG, 0.0% 3PT, 69.4% FT, 1.6 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 25.0 PER
Andre Drummond has been by far the best player on the Pistons to this point in the very young NBA season. With multiple 20/20 games in the young season, he is surely making his case for a well deserved maximum contract whether it be from the Pistons, or another team willing to spend the money to get one of the league’s top talents at the Center position, rivaling talents such as Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Karl-Anthony Towns. In his 8th season now, Drummond figures to lie among the top rebounders of all time. There is no reason for Pistons fans to believe Drummond will cool off this season due to his dominant play through the first month of the season.
Luke Kennard:
2019-20 stats: 33.7 MPG, 18.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 45.4% FG, 41.4% 3PT, 87.8% FT, 0.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 17.6 PER
Luke Kennard is one of the most important pieces on the Pistons so far this year. The 3rd year Shooting Guard is averaging 18.9 points per game, while also being a strong candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. When he was drafted in the 1st round of the 2017 NBA Draft out of Duke, Pistons fans knew Kennard would be an excellent 3 point shooter, having shot 38.3% from distance over his career at Duke. Luke held up his reputation as a three point shooter his first two seasons, while exploding this year for an incredible 41.4% from downtown, while expanding his game to take on an additional role as a playmaker, in which he has flourished. This year, Luke has doubled his previous assist output, while also taking more shots per game, and making 3.0 shots from three point range this year.
Bruce Brown:
2019-20 stats: 26.9 MPG, 7.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 38.4% FG, 29.4% 3PT, 59.3% FT, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 6.8 PER
Bruce Brown, the 42nd pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, has been a key contributor to this year’s Pistons as well. Brown’s rookie year, which saw him start 56 games, was an encouraging sight for the front office. Known primarily as a defender, Brown has made significant strides to becoming a bigger part of the offense, improving his points output by 3.0 PPG, while also not being afraid to take more shots. While temporary, Brown has played the Point Guard position to good results, showing maturity as a ball-handler and playmaker. Brown’s versatility means a lot to a team that relies on him to often guard the opposing team’s offensive threats, as he can guard most players. Brown is also showing encouraging results by shooting with greater efficiency from downtown. This trend should get better with experience, and there is a lot to like about his offensive game, especially with practice.
Christian Wood:
2019-20 stats: 15.8 MPG, 8.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.3 APG, 60.0% FG, 52.9% 3PT, 63.0% FT, 0.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 21.4 PER
Christian Wood was a fan favorite for many Pistons fans coming into training camp. The 4th year Center had really started to get it going in a limited time with the New Orleans Pelicans last year, averaging 16.9 PPG in a small sample size of 8 games. So far this year, this energy brought to the table from the big man has not faltered, and Wood has cracked the rotation, while scoring 8.6 PPG while only seeing the floor for 15.8 MPG. Shooting-wise, fans can not expect Wood to keep shooting 52.9% from 3 point range, but they can expect a high energy big man which provides a much needed spark from off the bench. Wood has lots of upside, and he showed this throughout training camp and the preseason, impressing Head Coach Dwane Casey, and taking the final roster spot, while also cracking the rotation. There is a lot to like about Wood, and we have only seen a fraction of his exciting upside thus far.
Svi Mykhailiuk:
2019-20 stats: 13.3 MPG, 4.4 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 43.5% FG, 52.9% 3PT, 100.0% FT, 0 SPG, 7.4 PER
Brought over via trade with the Lakers, Svi Mykhailiuk is a deadly 3 point shooter. Often known for making endless amounts of 3 point shots at the gym, the sharpshooter has taken his efficiency and translated it to his shots during his playing time, shooting 52.9% from deep. While defense is a concern, there is plenty of upside when it comes to what Svi can do. The Ukrainian swingman is also an able ball-handler and distributer when given the chance, and with defensive work, can become a premier 3 and D player. This type of player is exactly what the Pistons need, and to have the luxury of having a deadly three point shooter is something Pistons fans can look forward to seeing on the court.
Sekou Doumbouya:
2019-20 G-League Stats: 21.5 MPG, 15.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.3 AST, 53.5% FG, 36.8% 3PT, 100.0% FT, 1.0 SPG
Sekou is a very young player with seemingly endless upside. When talking about Sekou, all his potential makes him the steal of the entire draft… and he was drafted 15th. Sekou has unreal athleticism, and is very versatile on both ends of the floor. Though inconsistent, his jumpshot is trending up as evidenced by shooting 36.8% from distance in limited G-League action. Sekou will be a very good defender with time, he just needs to shake off some of the inconsistencies that come with inexperience. The young Frenchman should be a staple of the Pistons for years to come, and everybody is excited to see what he can do.
Takeaways:
This recent success with young players’ development has Pistons fans everywhere excited, and rightfully so. The best is still yet to come,and after a bad outcome in the 2019 Playoffs, the Pistons have developed lots of young talent, and many of the young players mentioned above are making their name known throughout the league in different ways. They each have many strengths that provide seemingly endless upside and value to the team, and the future seems to be looking up for each of these players’ futures with the team, and along their careers.
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