Post-All-Star break means it is officially the 2023 NBA Draft season for the Detroit Pistons and for Pistons fans. In that spirit, Detroit Bad Boys is sharing weekly articles and prospect breakdowns from our own Bryce Simon, who is analyzing prospects for Sports Illustrated’s Draft Digest.
This week, Bryce explores a pair of potential Top-10 picks in freshmen Anthony Black and Keyonte George.
Anthony Black, Arkansas Freshman Guard
Anthony Black is a name that Detroit Pistons fans should get familiar with should the lottery not have a favorable outcome and Troy Weaver finds himself on the clock at pick No. 4 or 5. While the top three picks in the 2023 NBA Draft seem to be locked in, in some order, the draft starts to really open up after that. While the 6-foot-7 versatile “guard” is not a common name to show up in the top five, he is in the conversation considering he may have the highest basketball IQ in the entire class combined with good size, playmaking and defense. The make or break skill for Black is going to be the shooting and whether he can continue to improve upon the strides made in his one year at Arkansas.
Keyonte George, Baylor Freshman Guard
Keyonte George seems to be even less likely of an option for the Pistons in the top five than the previously mentioned Anthony Black but we never know what Troy Weaver has up his sleeves for acquiring extra draft capital, something he has done in two of his three years as General Manager. George is best described as a scoring combo guard who was still able to showcase his insane scoring potential through an up and down freshman season. It should also be noted that he was playing in a crowded backcourt with two veteran guards this season in Waco, as well. George’s lack of overall efficiency and questions about what else he brings to the table, on either end of the court, probably keeps him closer to the mid, or even late, lottery in this draft.
Sidy Cissoko, G-League Ignite Wing
Sidy Cissoko may be one of the more overlooked prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft due to the fact that the No. 1 prospect, Victor Wembanyama, is also from France and his fellow Ignite teammate, Scoot Henderson, is the No. 2 prospect. He also is fighting for the second best prospect from his home country and Ignite team with Rayan Rupert and Leonard Miller. Sissoko is an intriguing 6-foot-7 wing with some scoring punch and plus passing ability. Where he will make the most immediate impact is on the defensive end where he put up an impressive two-plus “stocks” per game.
Taylor Hendricks, Central Florida Freshman Forward
Taylor Hendricks is a sneaky name for Detroit Pistons to follow in two scenarios. First, and the less likely of the two, is the Pistons fall to No. 5 in the draft and have Hendricks in play with the other prospects in this range. Mathematically, this is a real possibility but it just seems like six or seven is the absolute ceiling for Hendricks’ range right now. Second, perhaps Troy Weaver falls in love with a second lottery prospect again this year and makes a move for Hendricks if he falls to 10 or lower. Hendricks is one of the biggest risers in this years class as a true 3-and-D prospect that knocks down shots offensively and causes all sorts of disruption on the defensive end with blocks and steals.
If you want to stay up to date on all of this year’s NBA Draft prospects, you can read all of Bryce’s work for Sports Illustrated’s Draft Digest.