Are the Pistons proof that top draft picks don't necessarily turn your team around?

[Patrick Chewing]

Or are the Pistons actually better than what their record indicates? Is it coaching?

[90sgoat]

I haven't watched any of them.

Generally I assume that AAU prospects are going to suck unless they have a real college career.

Jalen Brunson had 3 years of college and won the NCAA 2 times.

How in the world did he not get drafted in the top 10? A second round 33rd pick.

If you're a one and done, you need to be highly successful.

Zion was a huge prospect, but Duke didn't even make Final Four even with fellow NBA bust RJ Barrett (a bust for his high draft pick only).

Ben Simmons was the same. A lackluster non-winning college performance, yet was still picked top.

[ImKobe]

That team has two actual NBA players and a bunch of scrubs man. A top draft pick could turn around a team with average NBA talent, but the Pistons are a joke. They just have a bunch of young guys who didn't pan out who can't do their jobs so there's nothing Cade can do. He's been playing out of his mind which is why they've been in position to win so many games, only to fall short at the end when teams start playing Playoffs defense on Cade to save themselves from embarrassment.

Detroit is tanking on purpose so they're giving everyone a shot & are trying to find maybe 1-2 more young players on the team who could stick around for the future, but if they do hit in this upcoming draft I expect them to put a solid team togeher.

[Patrick Chewing]

Is Ivey any good? I remember Knicks fans wanting Ivey so bad, but you never hear of that guy. Looked at his stats and nothing worth bragging about. He was heralded as the next Ja Morant.

[90sgoat]

What kind of player is Cade, question for those who watch?

I remember 3ball not being impressed.

Judging by his stats and size, he is a big ball handling guard, but his rebounding numbers are very unimpressive (4.2) and while he gets 7.1 assists, he also has 4.0 turnovers leading to a AST/TOV ratio to 1.8.

Compare Lukas third season, he had 8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and a AST/TOV ratio of 2.

Unfair comparison of course, but his stats would seem a bit concerning if I was a Pistons fan honestly.

He also isn't a knockdown shooter, so moving him to SG or SF doesn't seem an option. Is he a good defender? Stats don't suggest it.

Bust?

[jayfan]

Or are the Pistons actually better than what their record indicates? Is it coaching?

If you hit with your top draft picks, it will turn your team around. If you miss with your top draft picks, your team will continue to suck. That's been the case since the beginning of time.

As for the Pistons, they had the #7 pick in 2020 and were targeting the point guard position. They had their choice of Haliburton or Killian Hayes. They chose Killian Hayes. The rest is history.

Cade was consensus #1 the next year.

Then in 2022, they took Ivey at #5. He's shown flashes but is raw. A number of SG's taken just after him have been better thus far.


The other problems the Pistons have is that Weaver has done an awful job of constructing the roster outside of draft picks. The roster is terrible. We're playing guys that would be out of the league if we released them today.


As for coaching, Monty has been dealt a bad hand, but he has done a horrible job with it. I thought anyone would be better than Casey. And Monty is a better X & O coach than Casey, but he's not getting anything out of the players. And his rotations are just dumb. He has sucked at his job, for which he's making more money than anyone ever has.

.

[meat]

No they are not proof. It's happened many times. Look at the "trust the process" Sixers picks.

[tontoz]

You still have to make good trades if you aren't a good free agent destination. OKC has hit on some picks but also got SGA through a trade. Now they look to be in the best position going forward.

[GOBB]

There’s no method to the madness. But most of the top players in the NBA have come from the top of the draft. Your chances of finding a franchise player who can turn your team around are greater at the top than at the bottom or even the 2nd rd. It depends on the talent in that draft class and how they develop. Sixers rolled the dice and landed themselves a top 5 player today. Who won MVP and might win it again. I’m not sure if 2024 has any studs in the class. I’m out of touch with the prospects honestly.