The 2015 NBA Draft is tomorrow and as we get closer and closer to the event actually unfolding, the more it sounds like the potential targets most people believe the Pistons want will be gone when their pick rolls around at #8. Ideally the Pistons would love if Mario Hezonja or Justise Winslow would fall to them at 8, but most mock drafts have them going earlier than that.
If Hezonja and Winslow (or any of the other top 7 players) are indeed gone by the Pistons' selection, and assuming the Pistons don't wind up trading up or down, it sounds like the choice will ultimately come down between two players: Arizona small forward Stanley Johnson and Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker.
Let's take a look at each player and see what their pluses and minuses are, and how those might fit/not fit for the Pistons.
Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
Height: 6' 6.5"
Weight: 232 lbs.
Wing Span: 6' 11.5"
College Stats (1 season): 28.4 MPG, 13.8 PPG, 44.6 FG%, 37.1 3FG%, 74.2 FT%
Johnson is generally regarded as the third-best small forward in this year's draft behind Hezonja and Winslow. Johnson is the biggest of the three and probably has the most NBA-ready body of the three (if not in the whole draft), and with a good height of 6' 6.5" and a wingspan of 6' 11.5", he's probably the perfect physical fit for what the Pistons want out of the small forward position. Listening to interviews he's made during the draft season, he sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders and he seems to relish the opportunity to play for Detroit. That doesn't hurt.
Johnson had a very solid season in his lone year as an Arizona Wildcat, but it wasn't outstanding. He averaged almost 14 points per game with a field-goal percentage of 44.6%, and shot a respectable 37.1% from beyond the arc. But a lot of his better games came against lesser competition and he struggled in his final three games of the season in the NCAA Tournament against better competition.
In the 3rd Round against Ohio State he shot 1-for-12, scoring just 4 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. He rebounded in the Sweet Sixteen against Xavier, shooting 4-for-10 including 2-for-5 from three-point range for a total of 12 points; but followed it up with a very disappointing performance in the Elite Eight against Wisconsin when he only attempted four shots, making two, and only grabbing two rebounds while playing just 25 minutes. Essentially, when the Wildcats truly needed him, he struggled. Of course, you can look at that and say it's a small sample size at the end of a long season.
Regardless, the biggest knocks on Johnson are those kinds of struggles and whether or not he has the motor, athleticism and shooting for the NBA game. No one doubts he has the body, but he had trouble scoring at the rim and it'll remain to be seen if he can shoot the NBA three.
He's only 19 years old, so there's every chance he can improve his handle and shot and turn into the kind of 3-and-D guy Stan Van Gundy would love. A common comparison for Johnson has been Ron Artest, so if you think this Pistons team could use a guy like Ron Artest (except he's not crazy), then Johnson's your man. And when it comes to questions about his motor, keep in mind that another recent Pistons draft pick slid down the draft because of similar questions, and that's how Detroit was able to snag Andre Drummond.
For more on Stanley Johnson, check out DraftExpress' scouting video on him below:
Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
Height: 6' 5.75"
Weight: 206 lbs.
Wing Span: 6' 8.25"
College Stats (1 season): 21.5 MPG, 10.0 PPG, 47.0 FG%, 41.1 3FG%, 82.8 FT%
Booker won't necessarily fill the small forward position if drafted by Detroit. Then again, Van Gundy has really only said that they're looking to draft a wing player, so Booker fits that bill as a 6' 6" shooting guard. Generally regarded as one of if not the best shooter in this draft, Booker was a platoon player for Kentucky in his one collegiate season. Because of that his minutes weren't as high as they could have been had he played elsewhere, and the lack of minutes could have suppressed his stats a bit.
Even so, Booker shot 47% from the floor and 41.1% from beyond the arc. Pretty impressive numbers, but some wonder if he was helped by playing for such a good team and getting lots of good, open looks instead of contested shots like he'll face in the pros. It'd be kind of petty to knock Booker for playing on a good team, but when it comes to the draft most teams will have to project whether his production as one cog in a larger machine will translate to professional success (much like Karl-Anthony Towns is being questioned a bit for). Booker is also a bit on the skinny side, but as he's still a teenager there's plenty of time for him to fill out his frame.
Booker would certainly be a nice addition as a shooter for the Pistons, but he'd also join a backcourt that's already a bit crowded. Detroit currently has 2013 1st-round draft pick Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and 2014 free agent signee Jodie Meeks at shooting guard, so Booker would probably be a third-stringer to start. On the other hand, having too many good shooters is a problem most teams would love to have. If KCP keeps improving, if Meeks has a better second season that hopefully doesn't see him miss a third of the season with a back injury, if Detroit signs a sharp-shooting small forward like DeMarre Carroll or Danny Green and they add Devin Booker, that's not too shabby. (Signing a SF like Carroll or Green would also become paramount if Booker is the pick over Stanley Johnson, by the way.)
Finally, not that it means much in the grand scheme of things, but Booker grew up for a time in Grand Rapids, Michigan and grew up a Pistons fan. He's repeatedly said he understands what it would mean to wear the Pistons uniform. That certainly would endear him to the fan base. But if Booker could turn out to be the next Klay Thompson, the fan base would love him even more.
For more on Devin Booker, check out DraftExpress' scouting video on him below:
No comments:
Post a Comment