Who would Detroit take at 5?

[NYG]

From the trade board...

Random rockets stuff:

Iko said he thinks the rockets don't think Amen is far behind Scoot and Miller and above everyone else for fourth, but Iko is also really bad about wording pure speculation in a way that seems like reporting so hard to know really. Don't think they'll aggressively try to move up but they're not in a good position to do so anyways. Have seen whispers that they're lower on Scoot relative to consensus and like Miller more, I think that's wrong but probably won't end up mattering since they don't have the choice.

They try to keep workouts quiet so as far as we know the only top 10 level guys they've worked out are the twins and Ant Black.

Jett Howard has worked out with them a couple times, team really likes him apparently and he grew up wanting to be a rocket so if he's there at 20 think he'll get a long look

If true, then barring trade, the draft starts at 5 with Detroit?

1. Spurs - Wemby
2. Hornets - Scoot
3. Blazers - Miller
4. Rockets - Amen

If this is how the draft went, who would Detroit take at 5? This isn't who you would take based on your rankings, this is who you think the real life Pistons would take in this scenario.

[CptCrunch]

I mean should take the BPA given they don't have a franchise player yet.

On my board Black is the #2 prospect so he is the BPA, but with the Ivey/Cade situation in town, drafting a PG seems like the dumbest of dumb ideas. So I am sure Detroit is going to go for Ausar at SF or some PF in Hendricks/Whitmore/Walker.

Detroit obviously got screwed by the lotto this year. Worst record, 5th pick in maybe a 1 + 2/3 man draft. Wemby, Black, Scoot and Miller are the clear top 4 here.

[retrobro90]

Based on his OKC tenure I think Weaver has a proclivity for high end athletes. Think they go Ausar here if they keep the pick.

[Spens1]

Honestly, use 31 and 5 to get Miller cause BPA and he actually fits. Failing that ausar Thompson.

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[CptCrunch]

Honestly, use 31 and 5 to get Miller cause BPA and he actually fits. Failing that ausar Thompson.

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PSA 31 + 5 moves you up to 4.999.

5 + 10 moves you up to 4.8 just maybe.

[EMG518]

They have alot of talent but hate the fit they have currently with all of their players. They need to start making some moves. This pick as well potentially may give them another player that doesn't fit.

I am expecting Wemby, Scoot, Miller, and Amen to be off the board.

I personally would explore trade options first, can I move up to 2 with Charlotte and grab Scoot, if not I am looking to move back here.

I think I would go Bilal Coulibaly and develop him as a wing/swiss army knife type of player that can also be a secondary creator.

[The Moose]

It should be Jarace or Hendricks, but I suspect it will be Whitmore, assuming he doesn't go at 4

[vincecarter4pres]

In this case I think they’ll go Walker, but they should go Hendricks or Coulibaly.

[Braggins]

Hendricks

[basketballRob]

Amen, brother.

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[Kalamazoo317]

They have alot of talent but hate the fit they have currently with all of their players. They need to start making some moves. This pick as well potentially may give them another player that doesn't fit.

I am expecting Wemby, Scoot, Miller, and Amen to be off the board.

I personally would explore trade options first, can I move up to 2 with Charlotte and grab Scoot, if not I am looking to move back here.

I think I would go Bilal Coulibaly and develop him as a wing/swiss army knife type of player that can also be a secondary creator.

If you hate how the roster fits now, using assets to trade up for a non-shooting, ball-dominant PG is an odd choice.

[Spens1]

Honestly, use 31 and 5 to get Miller cause BPA and he actually fits. Failing that ausar Thompson.

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PSA 31 + 5 moves you up to 4.999.

5 + 10 moves you up to 4.8 just maybe.

the other option is using Bojan maybe. I mean at 31 someone will fall and given the depth of this draft (even if it isn't full of franchise changing talent beyond Scoot and Wemby), there is at least depth.

[76ciology]

Hendricks, they need floor spacer and solve the clunkiness of their frontcourt.

[Notanoob]

Hendricks is the one I'm most confident will pan out to be a contributor, I just don't think he has star player upside, and Detroit needs guys who'll make a real difference. Hendricks is more like a Brown/Gordon/KCP tier of dude who helps contenders a ton but does nothing to move you out of the basement.

Whitmore's lack of passing is impossible to ignore and Walker just plays way too soft for a guy with his build. Ausar can't get to the rim in the half court and his shot looks awful. Dick is probably just a shooter at the NBA level. Black or Wallace have interesting upside but they're kind of long shots. Just absolutely **** luck to get this pick, I'd at least have felt alright about taking Amen.

[The Moose]

Even Detroits most informed beat writer still doesn’t seem to have much of a clue, outside of it being between the twins, Whitmore, Walker and Hendricks.

Only actual info he’s had is that Hendricks had an impressive workout, and that Ausar has fans in the front office.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to trade down a few spots.
I think Walker or Hendricks are the easy picks here though

[Hal14]

Hendricks, they need floor spacer and solve the clunkiness of their frontcourt.

You don't draft for need with a top 5 pick. And you definitely don't draft for need when you're the worst team in the league, lightyears away from being a contender.

There's plenty of 4's or 5's you could go out and get, who space the floor.

Take BPA, which will likely be one of the twins.

[Hal14]

Ausar can't get to the rim in the half court and his shot looks awful. .

Disagree.

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Really impressive drives and finishes at the rim here at 2:58 and 3:28

Watch on YouTube

The spacing in OTE is really bad, which makes it tough for Ausar to pressure the rim. While, he might not be quite the elite rim pressure guy that Amen is, Ausar is still good at getting to the rim, imo.

And if I'm Detroit, I'm rather take the guy who is a better shooter and better off-ball guy, since your PG is Cade..and considering Cade and Ivey aren't great shooters..plus, the other young guy you're building around (Duren) is a non-shooter.

Ausar is a rapidly improving shooter..and he has all-star potential.

[Notanoob]

Ausar can't get to the rim in the half court and his shot looks awful. .

The spacing in OTE is really bad, which makes it tough for Ausar to pressure the rim. While, he might not be quite the elite rim pressure guy that Amen is, Ausar is still good at getting to the rim, imo.

And if I'm Detroit, I'm rather take the guy who is a better shooter and better off-ball guy, since your PG is Cade..and considering Cade and Ivey aren't great shooters..plus, the other young guy you're building around (Duren) is a non-shooter.

Ausar is a rapidly improving shooter..and he has all-star potential.

Agree to disagree I think. 15-37 at the rim in the half-court on layups is pretty bad, a few nice plays here and there won't cut it for me. Beyond the ability to dribble it really calls into question his touch around the rim to finish that poorly given his obvious size, strenght and athleticism. With the shot, it still needs work and the low FT% is a bad indicator too, even if it's not like it's impossible for him to become a solid shooter.

I get that we need shooting and Ivey and Cade ideally are our guards going forwards, but as bad as we are you can't go for need. Anyways, Cade and either twin are big enough to play some SF on defense.

Amen, Whitmore and Hendricks are the guys I like best that we have any shot at.

[CptCrunch]

You know there is a problem with any sign of strength if based on inferred potential and any signs of weakness is an attempt at an excuse.

[Hal14]

Ausar can't get to the rim in the half court and his shot looks awful. .

The spacing in OTE is really bad, which makes it tough for Ausar to pressure the rim. While, he might not be quite the elite rim pressure guy that Amen is, Ausar is still good at getting to the rim, imo.

And if I'm Detroit, I'm rather take the guy who is a better shooter and better off-ball guy, since your PG is Cade..and considering Cade and Ivey aren't great shooters..plus, the other young guy you're building around (Duren) is a non-shooter.

Ausar is a rapidly improving shooter..and he has all-star potential.

Agree to disagree I think. 15-37 at the rim in the half-court on layups is pretty bad, a few nice plays here and there won't cut it for me. Beyond the ability to dribble it really calls into question his touch around the rim to finish that poorly given his obvious size, strenght and athleticism. With the shot, it still needs work and the low FT% is a bad indicator too, even if it's not like it's impossible for him to become a solid shooter.

I get that we need shooting and Ivey and Cade ideally are our guards going forwards, but as bad as we are you can't go for need. Anyways, Cade and either twin are big enough to play some SF on defense.

Amen, Whitmore and Hendricks are the guys I like best that we have any shot at.

Eh, the rim finishing % is a little bit of a red flag but I'm not too worried, considering how bad the spacing was in OTE - so his rim attempts were being done in tighter, more congested spaces, so harder to convert. And from watching his games, his touch around the game did improve later in the season. Also, if you watch the City Reapers games, there were quite a few times when Ausar missed a shot near the rim, but it should have been a foul - they really let them play and rarely blew the whistle in the OTE.

Also, this article talks about how FT shooting is not really the best indicator for future shooting projection:
https://theboxandone.substack.com/p/is-free-throw-success-an-indication

If we're talking about FT shooting though, Whitmore only shot 70% and Amen shot about the same % as Ausar.

In terms of 3 pt shooting, Ausar and Whitmore are headed in opposite directions..

Whitmore
First 15 games: 36.9% from 3 on 4.3 attempts per game
Last 11 games: 30% from 3 on 3.9 attempts per game

Ausar:
Overseas trip in the fall: (4.5%), 3.7 attempts per game
Preseason (11%), 3 attempts per game
Reg season: (30%), 3.8 attempts per game
Playoffs: (39%), 7.8 attempts per game
Last 4 Playoff games (44.1%), 8.5 attempts per game
*Hit game-winning 3 to clinch the league championship

Pretty wild improvement as a shooter by Ausar in less than a year.

And a pretty sizable gap between Ausar and Whitmore in terms of ball handling, passing/playmaking and defense.

With that being said, I'm not 100% that either twin would be a great fit in Detroit since the best spot for both of them is at guard, but you have Cade and Ivey there so you ideally would be adding a SF or a PF in there (with Duren at C).