One of the gutsiest general managers in the NBA hasn’t decided what to do with the No. 1 pick in Thursday night’s draft. At least that’s what Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver said Tuesday afternoon.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Even if it’s just a smokescreen, a way to ferret out better trade offers. Weaver likes to deal.
Though he doesn’t make trades for their own sake. He knows what kind of players he likes, and he isn’t afraid to maneuver to get them. The past year is proof of that.
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Weaver said he is enjoying the process of studying prospects. And while he reiterated Tuesday that he doesn’t think there is a Shaq or LeBron in this draft, he believes there are a handful of “high-level” players.
The first question is: Which one does he like the most?
The second question is: Do you trust him?
Because if he doesn’t take Cade Cunningham, or if he trades out of the No.1 spot, you’re going to have to.
I’d say he’s earned the faith. If he truly believes USC center Evan Mobley, or G League shooting guard Jalen Green, has more long-term potential, then he deserves the time to see if that comes true. And if he does believe in either of those players over Cunningham, he wouldn’t be the only one in the league who does.
This is the dilemma with this year’s draft: It’s at once deep with difference-makers, but without an obvious transcendent talent.
Maybe Cunningham turns out to be that player. Or maybe Mobley or Green. Or even Jonathan Kuminga or Scottie Barnes, small forwards with elite athleticism but subpar shooting strokes.
Kawhi Leonard didn’t shoot much either when he entered the league. Both Barnes and Kuminga could develop on a similar path.
Or not.
That’s the point.
I’m not arguing the Pistons should take either small forward. But Weaver’s selection will involve projection. He said as much Tuesday. He and his staff can study film and interview college and high school coaches and watch individual workouts up close and in person, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported they did recently with Green.
Word was the Pistons loved him. But that could also be strategic leaking.
As Weaver said, rumors of their process have been “bunk.”
“Everybody’s making the pick but us, but we’re going to continue to do our work and turn over every stone and land where we’re going to land,” he said. “We’re confident in our work, and we’re enjoying the process.”
Don’t doubt him here, at least about enjoying the work and turning over “every stone” and being satisfied with where they land. He isn’t worried about much else in this draft, and especially not the reaction to who they ultimately select.
This is a good thing. He knows that if, for some reason, he passes on Cunningham, there will be more than a few unhappy fans. Would you really want that to affect his decision?
Of course not. (And before you dismiss the possibility of a general manager and/or owner who buckles to public pressure, know this: It has happened before.)
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So, again, we return to the question of faith:
Was a single year of maneuvering enough evidence for you to trust Troy Weaver?
If I were forced to guess, I’d say Cunningham will become a Piston on Thursday night. But I have no idea if he ends up as this draft’s best player. I’m not sure anyone does.
He won’t be easy to pass up. His combination of size — 6-feet-8 — vision, ball skill, shooting, processing, defense and leadership are more than tantalizing. And if the league has learned anything the last five years, it’s that pure athletic explosiveness doesn’t matter if it isn’t combined with skill and at least some feel for the game.
But explosiveness does matter. Size still matters, especially size that can switch onto guards and disrupt perimeter offenses. The Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo just showed us that.
Fine, maybe there isn’t a player like the two-time MVP in the draft. But maybe there is a player like Antetokounmpo when he was drafted at No. 15 overall. He was only 6-8 in 2013. He weighed 40 pounds less than he does now.
Someone in Milwaukee’s organization bet that he might grow and evolve his skills. This is what Weaver talks about when he mentions projecting.
Cunningham is appealing in part because already he sees and understands the game at a high level; he also has a basket of moves that should get him space on an NBA court. He will make a difference next season.
But what is his ceiling?
Is it Dallas’ Luka Doncic?
Possibly.
But what are Mobley and Green’s ceilings?
Sometime before 8 tonight, Weaver is going to take his best guess. He has earned the chance to show he’s right.
Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @shawnwindsor.