Detroit Pistons Mentioned For 8 Players in Chad Ford’s Final Big Board

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the full first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the full first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Thon Maker

There is no greater wild card in the 2016 NBA Draft than Thon Maker, the 19th ranked player on Chad Ford’s final big board:

"Upside: This is a tough one. He’s huge. He’s long. He’s a fluid athlete. He plays really hard. He can shoot 3s and handle the ball. The size and skill set are there for him to be a star. Good luck coming up with a comp for Maker. Downside: Is the sum equal to all the parts? He’s got both physical and basketball tools. But I’m not sure whether they will all come together in a meaningful way in real games against real talent. He’s a major project who is going to need a lot of patience to figure out what kind of player he really is. Draft range: Nos. 10-30 — yeah, it’s huge. The Bucks are the high point for him. After that there are a lot of teams like the Nuggets, Pistons, Pacers and Hawks that have interest. But really, who knows? He’s the toughest guy in the draft to get a real read on."

A previous big board iteration mentioned that the Pistons felt they were in a position to take a big swing at someone with major upside and Ford again notes that the Pistons have interest in Maker.

He’s a major question mark but possesses a rare range of skills. “Stretch four” has made it’s way into the NBA lexicon but “stretch five” has not. Maker could change that if he panned out. Of course, there is no guarantee that he will pan out as he could just as easily be a bust.

It’s the boom-bust proposition that would lead to Maker being available with the 18th pick but also why the Pistons might make him the 18th pick. The Pistons couldn’t count on Maker for anything next season, but that seems to be their approach to the pick anyway.

Next: Malik Beasley