Who Will The Detroit Pistons Select With The 8th Pick In The 2013 NBA Draft?
By Corey Young
We turn are attention from the NBA finals to the next major event of the NBA basketball hemisphere and it is the NBA draft which will be held on June 27,2013 at 7pm est. Who will the Detroit Pistons select is the multimillion dollar question that is being posed.
After careful consideration and honest dissection of the Detroit Pistons current roster and several days and nights of watching last year games I’m actually more open to the Pistons drafting a point guard even though I still think the most pressing need is a wing players who can create his own shot and can shoot from three point range. We will look at some quality point guards today who can help Pistons roster immediately in distribution of the ball to the rest of the team.
Now this is not to say the I have giving up on Brandon “Knightmare” Knight because that is so far from the truth it’s unreal but I am cognizant of Knight assist per game total and that being one of the main reasons why Jose Calderon was brought in via trade last season. I think Knight could slide over to the shooting guard seamlessly and allow a true point guard the ability to run the team. Knight could also still be the backup point guard. I know Rodney Stuckey is still under contract but with this being his last season under contract this maybe Stuckey last year in Detroit if he is not traded before his contract is up.
Trey Burke
The University of Michigan standout point guard who is 6ft 1inch and 187 lbs from Columbus, Ohio can do it all he will set up teammates, drive to the rim, shoot the ball from deep, and will be fearless in clutch moments as well as he already has a NBA body. Why he is one of the best fits for the Pistons is he will set up everyone else and does well in pick and roll situations. The Pistons need a floor general who looks to pass first and get the ball to his teammates but can also hit the three point shot and Burke can do it all. He reminds me of Isaiah Thomas in some ways because he can carry the team offensively while scoring 30 points or while dishing 12 assist. Burke would be a steal this late in the draft to a team that needs a true point guard and would be a fan favorite with the University of Michigan ties.
Michael Carter- Williams
The Syracuse University star guard measures in at 6ft 5inch and 184lbs is from Hamilton, Massachusetts can run a team and defend multiple positions which would give the Pistons some flexibility with Brandon “Knightmare” Knight guarding the point guard on defense instead of maybe a bigger shooting guard. Michael Carter-Williams can and will look to distribute the ball to teammates often as well as drive fearlessly but I question his jump shot but I know with repetition and practice he can improve in that area. My only other concern with Carter-Williams is his weight but he has to put on muscle and weight to take the pounding that an 82 game regular season will put on you.
Who Do We Take?
Truth be told not really sure with the Pistons current roster if this is your primary concern at the moment is a point guard. Maurice Cheeks is yet to really work with Knight enough to determine this is my point guard or do we need to go in a different direction. Let’s be honest we need a bevy of players who can contribute minutes to our team as the front office continues to build a competitive roster to take us to the next level but with the cornerstones being the Turnt Up Twins and Brandon Knight. Building pieces around them is vitally important to a playoff run and beyond. You can’t go wrong either way and so much will depend on who is taking the previous seven draft choices but if I had a choice I would take Burke and it’s not a slight to Michael Carter-Williams but more of an indictment of how clutch and how good I think Trey Burke is and the leadership I think Trey Burke will bring. If Trey Burke is available at the eighth choice it would take me all of a second to make that choice. Some people just have that it factor and no matter how many times you doubt Burke he just gets better in time.