There’s A New Pope In Town, Detroit Pistons Welcome KCP!
Jun 27, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Georgia) shakes hands with NBA commissioner David Stern after being selected as the number eight overall pick to the Detroit Pistons during the 2013 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Trey Burke! We want Trey Burke! It seemed like most Pistons fans wanted the Pistons to select the player of the year and “hometown” player out of Michigan. Joe Dumars decided otherwise and instead went with Georgia shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. I predicted this pick and wanted the Pistons to draft him over Burke and Carter-Williams and here is why. Caldwell-Pope is a 6’6″ shooting guard who can score the ball with regularity. He averaged 18.5 ppg in the SEC and had 11 games where he tallied over 20 points and didn’t have one single game where he scored in single digits. The Pistons desperately needed a guy who could score the ball and they got that in Caldwell-Pope. Caldwell-Pope is also solid on the defensive side of the ball averaging 2 steals a game. I will agree that Burke is also a great defender, but at his size I don’t think he would be able to guard a guy like Deron Williams or Derrick Rose. Caldwell-Pope is also a guy who can rebound the ball on both ends of the court. He averaged over 7 rebounds a game coming out of the shooting guard position.
Position of Need
The Detroit Pistons did not have a true shooting guard until tonight. Brandon Knight is not a shooting guard, he is simply to small. Kyle Singler saw some time at the 2 as well, but I think he is more suited to come off the bench and be a back up at small forward. Rodney Stuckey is a player who really is neither a point guard nor a shooting guard. Although he has improved his outside shot, its not as consistent as it needs to be to be a true shooting guard. With this pick, Stuckey should become a trade chip this offseason. I’ll propose a trade right now- Knight, Stuckey, Charlie who would probably be amnestied, and a draft pick to Boston for Rajon Rondo. Boston is blowing it all up, so why not ask.
If McClemore fell past Sacramento at 7, the Pistons would have jumped all over him. Dumars said that his two top choices were McClemore and Pope, not Trey Burke or MCW. Caldwell-Pope might not start from day 1, but he will be the starter at shooting guard by the middle of the season and for years to come.
2o14 Draft
The 2014 NBA Draft will have a lot more talent and depth in it and I think the Pistons will address, probably another lottery pick, a true point guard. Marcus Smart is a name to keep an eye on, he would have been a top 10 pick if he entered this years draft but decided against it. If the Pistons don’t select a point guard then they will go after a small forward. Andrew Wiggins will be the guy every team wants and more than likely will be the top pick next year and unless the Pistons get the 1st pick next season, I think they’ll target either Glenn Robinson III or James Young who will be a freshman at Kentucky this upcoming season.