Will the Detroit Pistons Draft Denzel Valentine?
With the 18th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons may have the opportunity to select former Spartan Denzel Valentine.
Nearly 24 hours away from the 2016 NBA Draft and mock drafts from seemingly every website are swirling around the Internet.
Chris Haynes of cleveland.com reported that the Philadelphia 76ers would be selecting Ben Simmons with the first overall pick. The 76ers had to choose between Simmons and Brandon Ingram, and with the second pick, the Los Angeles Lakers would select whoever Philly passed on.
When Thursday’s draft rolls around, it’s almost certain that Ingram will be a Laker. But these first two picks have been set in stone for months. Everyone knew it would come down to Simmons and Ingram, but now we finally know where they’ll start their NBA careers.
What isn’t a for sure selection is where the Detroit Pistons are in the draft. Owners of the 18th overall pick, the Pistons’ first round draft selection depends on how the first 17 picks pan out.
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Because of their draft order, it seems as if every website predicts the Pistons drafting a different player.
ESPN.com guesses the Pistons will draft Australain forward Thon Maker while Draftexpress.com says the Pistons will take Deyonta Davis, a power forward out of Michigan State. Yahoo.com predicts Demetrius Jackson, PG from Notre Dame, is headed to Detroit.
It seems like there are a plethora of guys the Pistons could potentially take. But, according to several major sites, the 18th overall pick could belong to former Michigan State Spartan, Denzel Valentine.
Bleacherreport.com, SI.com, and NBADraft.net all have Valentine beginning his NBA career as a Detroit Piston. There are many things to like about the 6’5″ guard who was a frequent scorer all four years under Tom Izzo in East Lansing.
For his entire college career, Valentine was a guy that always muscled his way into the lineup. His freshman season, he started 15 games and averaged 20.8 minutes per game.
To no one’s surprise, when Valentine played more, he scored more. He average 5.0 PPG his freshman campaign. Senior year was an entirely different story, as he started all but one game. Valentine dominated and averaged 19.2 PPG while playing 33.0 MPG.
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Over the years with the Spartans, Valentine quickly became one of the best three-point shooters in the country. Valentine shot 28.1% his freshman year, 37.7% his sophomore season, 41.6% as a junior, and finished his senior year at 44.4%.
It isn’t all positive for Valentine as he heads into Draft Day, however. Valentine’s track record should leave him as a guaranteed top-ten pick. But, due to a knee injury his senior year, draft experts and teams are concerned.
Valentine injured his left knee last December, and he hasn’t shaken it yet. According to nbadraft.net, Valentine has cartilage damage in both of his knees. The right knee is said to be worse.
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But, teams do know of the problems with Valentine’s knees, and are still willing to take a chance on the 22-year old star. With the 18th pick, there is a chance Valentine falls into the hands of Stan Van Gundy. Should they take the risk, or pass up on arguably the best player in college basketball last season?