NBA Draft 2015: Chad Ford mocks Sam Dekker to Detroit Pistons
Chad Ford unveiled his Mock Draft 7.0 yesterday and unfortunately for Detroit Pistons fans, it isn’t very favorable.
"Everyone in the league has Mario Hezonja pegged here for the Pistons. And if he falls to eight, it’s likely he’ll be the pick. However, if he’s off the board, don’t be surprised if the Pistons select Dekker a few spots higher than other NBA teams have him. He had a terrific workout there on Saturday, shot the lights out, and is more NBA ready than several of the wings. The Pistons also have a huge hole at the three. Stanley Johnson and Devin Booker will be other options for Detroit."
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This is the worst possible outcome for the Pistons. With an immediate need at small forward and a long-term need for a power forward that fits next to Drummond (Ersan Ilyasova was a great pick-up, but may not be the long-term solution), Ford has the top two small forwards in Mario Hezonja and Justise Winslow going to the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets. Kristaps Porzingis–who would be perfect next to Andre Drummond— is mock mocked to go third to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Ford says that he spoke ‘with a number of NBA executives’ on Friday in Las Vegas, but I have my doubts about about the likelihood of the board falling this way when the Pistons are on the clock.
NBA Mock Draft 2015: Pistons Go International
Starting with the third overall selection it seems unlikely that Sam Hinkie would draft Porzingis after having strengthened the interior of the team in the past two drafts (Nerlens Noel, Dario Saric, and Joel Embiid ) all of whom were lottery picks–even if Embiid is in danger of missing another full season. If Embiid misses the entire 2015-2016 season, the 76ers are still set with Noel and Saric. The team’s true weakness is on the wing and the best wing talent in the draft is D’Angelo Russell, who will almost certainly be there.
If Russell goes to the 76ers–and he should–that in itself helps the Pistons find their future small forward or in the case that Porzingis drops, power forward.
PF/C. Kentucky. Karl Towns. 1. player. 86.
20. . C. Duke. Jahlil Okafor. 2. player
. PG/SG. Ohio State. D'Angelo Russell. 3. player. 93
China. Emmanuel Mudiay. 4. player. 27. . PG
Kristaps Porzingis. 5. player. 38. . PF. Latvia
player. 67. . C. Kentucky. Willie Cauley-Stein. 6
player. 73. . SF. FC Barcelona. Mario Hezonja. 7
That Magic are reportedly ‘very high‘ on Porzingis so no surprise that they take him instead of Hezonja in this scenario. (Though I think Winslow would be the better fit).
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With the 76ers drafting Russell instead, it pushes the small forwards down the board which is exactly what the Pistons would like to happen. I think the board falling this way is much more likely than what Ford reports. Why else would his agent allow him to compete against other prospects and risk injury? Winslow has a legitimate chance to fall to the Pistons.
Even if Ford’s mock draft shakes out the way it does in the first seven picks, it’s hard to imagine the Pistons selecting Dekker over Stanley Johnson. Stan Van Gundy loves floor spacers and Johnson was much more efficient from the three-point line (37 percent) than Dekker was (33 percent), and Dekker is two years older.
Furthermore, Johnson’s frame (245 pounds) versus Dekker’s (220 pounds) means that he can slide over to power forward should the Pistons decide to play small ball which seems to be more and more common in today’s NBA.
Sam Dekker to the Detroit Pistons? Not likely, at least not at eight. If the board falls the way Ford projects the Pistons might be better off trying to move either way in the draft to either A) secure a coveted prospect or B) find better value by moving down. (Dekker is projected in the 12-18 range by most).
Next: NBA Mock Draft 2015: Pistons Go International