CHICAGO — The Detroit Pistons entered Tuesday’s NBA lottery hoping to have an easy decision during next month’s draft. But after falling to fifth, they have a much wider range of outcomes.
Like any other draft, the Pistons will have a crop of talented players to choose from with the No. 5 overall selection. They’re continuing their evaluation process during this week’s combine, where the top prospects in the draft are taking part in drills, scrimmages and sit-down interviews with teams.
Multiple players the Pistons could target with their top pick on June 22 addressed the media on Wednesday. Here’s what they had to say.
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Cam Whitmore, Villanova
Few players in Detroit’s draft range fit the roster better than Whitmore. At 6 feet 6 and 235 pounds, he’s a burly wing who could potentially play three positions in the NBA. Despite his size, he recorded a 40.5-inch vertical jump earlier this week.
Whitmore is one of the best athletes in the draft, combining his leaping ability with a quick first step that allows him to truck through defenders when getting to the rim. He would fill a need for the Pistons, who need a forward who can defend and knock down 3-pointers. At 18 years old, he would be an upside play as well.
He believes he fits right in with Detroit’s roster.
“Pistons have some athletic guys,” Whitmore said. “They have my boy Jalen Duren, Cade (Cunningham), Jaden Ivey, just athletic guys who can get the job done. You got (Isaiah) Stewart over there, a big dude, big body who can get the job done athletically, offensively and defensively. It’s a good core of young group of guys. We’re young so we can jump out the gym and run up and down the floor.”
Whitmore compared his game to Mikal Bridges, a fellow Villanova grad and one of the NBA’s best 3-and-D forwards. Bridges’ game on offense leapt forward after he was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Brooklyn Nets in February. He’s not a perfect prospect — he averaged 0.7 assists and 1.6 turnovers per game in his lone season at Villanova — but his draft range starts at No. 4 due to his longterm potential.
Despite being one of the youngest players in the draft, he’s already a capable shotmaker. And it’s an area he believes he can show more of, as he noted when asked about his top qualities.
“My shot-creation ability,” he said. “I can shoot off the dribble. Finding my spots is something I gotta work on in the NBA, but I think off-ball movement, catch-and-shoots, straight-line drives are something I can really do in the NBA modern game.”
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Anthony Black, Arkansas
Big guards and forwards with playmaking skills are on the rise. The 2021 draft saw Cade Cunningham (No. 1), Scottie Barnes (No. 4), Josh Giddey (No. 6) and Franz Wagner (No. 8) all selected within the top 10 picks. In 2022, Paolo Banchero (No. 1) and Dyson Daniels (No. 9) made the top 10.
Black is from a similar mold. As a 6-7 wing, he averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals while frequently serving as Arkansas’ point guard. His size and ability to defend multiple positions could make him an effective wing in the NBA. But he believes he can be a full-time point guard, too.
“Depending on where I go, I see myself as a lead guard because that’s how I can impact the game the most,” Black said. “All my teammates I’ve played with have told me I make it easier for them. I know it’s the best players in the world, but maybe I could make it easier for them, too.”
He’s a gifted passer, and his ability to get to the free throw line at a high rate helps to offset his 30.1% shooting mark behind the arc. Black said one of the players he watches the most is Cunningham — a fellow Dallas-area native whose game has some similarities.
Black wouldn’t have the ball all the time in Detroit, but he could raise the Pistons’ floor with his playmaking and defense.
“I got that a lot coming up,” he said of the Cunningham comparisons. “We were both amateurs, not pro, so just the comparisons of a younger version of Cade. He’s just a big, physical guard, and he’s a good player. I’ve worked out with him a couple of times, just trying to stay in touch and learn stuff from him.”
Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite
He’s not universally considered a top-three prospect, but Thompson has one of the highest ceilings in the draft. He’s a gifted athlete at 6-7, possessing great speed and coordination that enables him to attack downhill with ease. Like Black, he’s also a great passer for his size and projects well as a big point guard.
The reason he’s not a top-three pick? His outside shooting, or lack thereof. Thompson shot just 23.3% from 3 with Overtime Elite. He’ll still be able to score, thanks to his speed and finishing ability, but NBA teams will give him space and dare him to shoot. It caps his ceiling.
Thompson didn’t address his shooting directly on Wednesday, but he acknowledged several times that he’s looking to expand his game inside the arc. He’s widely projected to go somewhere in the Nos. 4-8 range, with his twin brother and fellow Overtime Elite teammate, Ausar, not far behind.
“I take things from (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), Ja Morant, LeBron (James), just fast, twitchy guards,” Thompson said. “De’Aaron Fox, players like that.”
What is he taking from Gilgeous-Alexander, a noted midrange marksman?
“He can get to his spots whenever he wants, creating contact first so nobody can really contest his shots, learning how to score in the paint because he barely shoots a lot of 3s,” Thompson said.
When asked what aspect of his game he wants to show more of in the NBA, he said he can do a better job getting to his spots. Establishing position appears to be a big focus for Thompson, who otherwise will be one of the best athletes in the league the moment he steps onto the floor.
“I always felt like people couldn’t really stay in front of me but I didn’t know what to do with that, so just being able to get to my spots and raise up from the midrange that I developed really well,” he said. “I think I can show that now.”
Jarace Walker, Houston
Purely from an attitude and style standpoint, Walker fits Detroit. He’s one of the best defensive prospects in the draft — a 6-8, long-armed forward who forced a lot of turnovers while displaying passing and shooting chops on offense.
He can improve as a shooter, though, as many teams aren’t sold on his 34.7% clip on 3-pointers immediately translating to the NBA. But after averaging 2.8 blocks and 0.8 steals during six AAC and NCAA tournament games to lead Houston to a No. 1 seed and a Sweet 16 appearance, Walker is a popular pick in mock drafts to go the Pistons.
“I feel like I had a decent season,” Walker said. “I definitely had a lot more to show, with it being my first season definitely still a learning experience. Especially early on. I feel like I had a good season overall.”
Walker hopes to show off more of his shot creation and playmaking ability. He’s slightly undersized as a big man, but his ability to switch on defense will give his next team an edge. In Detroit, he could play alongside any of Detroit’s centers and even form an intriguing frontcourt with Stewart.
“I feel like I’m a great playmaker, get my teammates involved, knock down shots, and then defensively guard multiple positions, cover the ball, guard pick-and-rolls,” he said. “I’m definitely ready to make an immediate impact.”