Detroit Pistons

Ian Levy of Hickory-High has a cool feature where he equates each team’s lottery odds to something more relatable. Here’s his Pistons entry: Detroit Pistons – 3.9% chance of winning the #1 pick – About the same as Greg Monroe‘s odds of assisting on consecutive made baskets by the Pistons. Greg Monroe assisted on 18.6% of the Pistons made baskets when he was on the floor this season. His odds of assisting on two consecutive makes would be (0.186 x 0.186 = 3.6%). Maybe Lawrence Frank should have given Monroe more playmaking duties. Then, the Pistons would have a better chance at the No. 1 pick. That’s how this works, right?

Learn About Tableau Detroit Pistons’ lottery odds No. 1 pick: 3.6 percent No. 2 pick: 4.16257 percent No. 3 pick: 4.91491 percent No. 7 pick: 59.92783 percent No. 8 pick: 25.30111 percent No. 9 pick: 2.05964 percent No. 10 pick: 0.03393 percent

Discuss Draft Dreams on Twitter using the #DraftDreams hashtag Info Measurables: 6-foot-8, 205 pounds, sophomore small forward from Georgetown. Key Stats: 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.8 steals per game; shot 48 percent from the field and  42.2 percent on 3-pointers Projected: Top 5 pick Random fact Porter took a strange path to Georgetown. He grew up in rural southeast Missouri and went to Scott County High School, which had an enrollment at the time of 108 students. He also never played AAU basketball. But big-time college still found him. Maybe its because Porter’s high school has a long-standing tradition of basketball success. The Porter family had a member on Scott County High School’s first 11 state championships, starting with Porter’s dad, Otto Porter Sr., in 1976. Fits with the Pistons because … Porter fills a big need. If the Pistons retains Calderon, they will be in good shape at point guard, power forward and center, and Brandon Knight would be a serviceable shooting guard. Small forward, however, is currently occupied by Kyle Singler, and he’s not desirable starting option. Getting Porter would fill that need immediately, considering Porter projects as a solid player immediately. If he plays to the full of his potential, Porter could possibly become a Tayshaun Prince-esque player. He’ll be an all-around player with good defensive ability once he develops a bit more on that side of the ball, but he’s on the right track. Doesn’t fit with the Pistons because … The Pistons don’t have anyone aside from Greg Monroe who can create his own shot, and Monroe only qualifies because I’m optimistically hoping Detroit possesses the basic skill of throwing entry passes going forward. Porter isn’t going to solve that problem. If Calderon stays, that’s OK. But if Calderon leaves, Porter’s skills will be partially wasted on a team that doesn’t move the ball well. Porter learned at Georgetown how to function in an offense full of cuts and passing, but it’s not clear he has isolation skills. From the experts Chad Ford: From a skills perspective, Porter is one of the two or three most complete players in the draft. He could look great in the drills section, though he, too, is unlikely to participate. Typically the top six to 10 players in the draft skip that portion of the combine. Everyone expects Porter to be stellar in the interview process, so the athletic testing might be the real key for him. If he tests well with his vertical leap and lateral quickness, it would further cement his status as a top-5 pick. DraftExpress: At 6’9 with a very long wingspan and a rail-thin 205-pound frame, Porter has excellent size for the small forward position, even if he must get significantly stronger before he can make an impact at the next level. This is especially important considering his lack of elite athleticism, as he is more fluid and smooth than quick or explosive. Though his intelligence and instincts allow him to compensate somewhat at this level, he will have to maximize his physical potential to contribute at the next level. On film

The Detroit Pistons are currently in the seventh position of the 2013 NBA Draft but tonight their fortunes could change for better or worse. The NBA Draft Lottery gives the Pistons a 3.6 percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick. Lets say there is some magic in that lottery machine tonight and the Pistons win the first pick. Now lets say you're in charge. Whom do you select? Sounds like a great poll question to me. One option that won't be available, sadly, is trading the pick. Why? Because trades are really hard to pull off and when we're living in a hypothetical reality people tend to imagine fantastic trades for their favorite team. Instead we have to deal with the cold, hard reality of the five or six players people seem to really like at the top of this draft class. The candidates: Nerlens Noel Nerlens Noel DBB Scouting Report The DBB staff dissects Nerlens Noel and how he fits with the Pistons. Why he fits with the Pistons (via Kevin Sawyer): Defense. Lot's of it. Noel's defensive numbers are off the charts against top tier competition. He easily led prospects in block rate, and is top three in terms of steals. And he did it without fouling at a particularly high rate. He has the potential to be a once-in-a-decade defensive talent. Those only come along once per decade! Why he doesn't fit with the Pistons (via Mike Payne): Obviously, he has a pretty remarkable talent. However, he doesn't fill a need in Detroit, he's already torn his ACL and it may take several years before he has the mass to man the NBA five. If Detroit didn't have Andre Drummond, he'd be a lot more attractive. Ben McLemore Ben McLemore DBB Scouting Report The DBB staff dissects Nerlens Noel and how he fits with the Pistons. Why he fits with the Pistons (via Sean Corp): Elite shooting. Efficient scoring. Just what the doctor ordered. Dude shot nearly 50 percent while taking 400 shots on the season. And his coach and teammates thought he was too tentative. In a lot of ways I feel like he is one of the more underrated No. 2 overall picks in recent years only because I think he is going to improve by leaps and bounds as he matures and gets more confident in his game. Why he doesn't fit with the Pistons (via Shinons*): Really, I'm probably the least enthused about McLemore. He's a scorer, that's it. Which would be fine if he were at least a prolific scorer - and he's actually barely more prolific than Oladipo this year. He disappears, isn't aggressive enough. So isn't he just a shooting guard version of Cody Zeller? Anthony Bennett Anthony Bennett DBB Scouting Report The DBB staff dissects Nerlens Noel and how he fits with the Pistons. Why he fits with the Pistons (via Kevin Sawyer): A little bit of everything, and a lot of nothing. Bennett was a reasonably efficient shooter and a fairly prolific scorer. His rebounding rate was reasonable for his position, and his defensive stats project solidly, and he has decent range. The latter attribute gives him the potential to create matchup problems. He fits the mold of a stretch four, which is still en vogue in the NBA, I guess. Why he doesn't fit with the Pistons (via Shinons*): I don't like him. He feels like Charlie Villanueva, Michael Beasley, or Derrick Williams. Guys like him just never wind up being all that valuable. They tend to be defensive liabilities, not having the fluidity or ball-handling ability to use their athleticism to their advantage offensively, and just turn into shooters - yet not as good of shooters as a prospect who is a "pure shooter." In short, I'd take Erik Murphy ahead of him. Victor Oladipo Victor Oladipo DBB Scouting Report The DBB staff dissects Nerlens Noel and how he fits with the Pistons. Why he fits with the Pistons (via Mike Payne): Efficient scoring from a wing player. Defense. Incredible nickname versatility. Victor Oladipo can potentially bring to Detroit nearly

Discuss Draft Dreams on Twitter using the #DraftDreams hashtag. Info Measurables: 6-foot-4, 213 pounds, junior forward from the Indiana University. Key Stats: 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game; shot 60 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3-point territory. Projected: Top-5 pick. Random Fact He’ll flat out admit it, as he did at the NBA Draft Combine this week, but Victor Oladipo is a weird dude. There’s nothing wrong with that — some guys just march to the beat of their own drum — but Oladipo is his own man. He’s a gym rat, a guy who’s improved his game infinitely since he arrived in Bloomington, Ind., three years ago. But apparently he’s not all hoops. He’s actually got some pipes, which were on display at the Spirit of Indiana Showcase two years ago when he covered Usher’s hit, "U Got It Bad," via BroBible: It turns out he’s not just stealing the ball from opposing ball handlers, but also stealing the hearts of Indiana coeds since 2010. Fits with the Pistons because … Where to start? He’s a high-energy, high-effort guy who never seems to take a play off. Defensively, he would step in as the Pistons’ best perimeter defender since Tayshaun Prince in 2008, and that alone makes him worth a selection in the top-8 picks. The thing about a weak draft like this is there are only two ways of drafting — you’re either gambling on a high-risk, high-reward guy or taking the safe bet. Sure, the ridicule of passing on a potential future superstar is difficult, but at the same time, you’re avoiding drafting the next Michael Olowokandi, too. Comparing Oladipo to Dwyane Wade is extremely lazy, but there’s a short list of guys in this draft who aren’t going to get you fired. Oladpio is one of them. Oladipo’s on the shorter side (6-foot-4), but with a 6-foot-9 wingspan and elite athleticism, he’ll provide defense from day one. Plus, he’ll slide into a team’s offensive system relatively smoothly due to his versatility. It’s become a common practice in today’s NBA, but more and more teams are relying heavily on guys who aren’t A+ offensive players, but make up the difference on defense. Whether it’s Danny Green in San Antonio, Tony Allen (a very good Oladipo comparison) in Memphis or Shane Battier in Miami, these guys don’t make or break you offensively, but they impact the game on defense. If the Pistons need help in one area, it’s defense. Even if they have something of a logjam at shooting guard with Brandon Knight and Rodney Stuckey, the insertion of Oladipo into the lineup is going to improve the team’s perimeter defense — a glaring weakness last season with apathetic defenders like Jose Calderon and, and to varying degrees, Will Bynum and Stuckey playing big minutes. Doesn’t fit with the Pistons because … For all the good he brings on defense, he’s still a work in progress offensively. He’s athletic, and that’s something of a must for perimeter players in today’s NBA, but he doesn’t really handle the ball well and makes way too many turnovers. The majority of his offense at Indiana came off of open shots created by Cody Zeller down low or the fact that the team spaced the floor with 3-point shooters at every position. For a Pistons’ team that struggles to space the floor for Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond due to some questionable perimeter shooting, Oladipo won’t help the spacing problems. Tony Allen is the trendy comparison, and it’s one that I actually like because people sometimes forget how explosive Allen was prior to tearing his ACL early in his career. Allen’s not a great shooter, and although Oladipo has a set shot, he’s not a threat to create his own offense and there are questions as to how his shooting range will translate to the NBA 3-point line. Oladipo fits the

Does anyone know if the Pistons acquired another 1st Rd. pick either this year or next via trade, would they be able to give that to the Bobcats to fulfill the Maggette-Gordon trade? What about choosing to give up this year's pick to Charlotte rather than next? For instance, they get hosed tonight and end up 8th or 9th in the draft. It might make more sense to give up this year's pick in a weak draft class because even if the Pistons draft 15th-20th next year, they might be able to get a better player. Are any of these options contingent on Charlotte's approval? Does anyone know if the Pistons acquired another 1st Rd. pick either this year or next via trade, would they be able to give that to the Bobcats to fulfill the Maggette-Gordon trade? What about choosing to give up this year's pick to Charlotte rather than next? For instance, they get hosed tonight and end up 8th or 9th in the draft. It might make more sense to give up this year's pick in a weak draft class because even if the Pistons draft 15th-20th next year, they might be able to get a better player. Are any of these options contingent on Charlotte's approval?

The last time the Pistons picked seventh overall, where they have the best odds of picking this year (60 percent), they lucked out with Greg Monroe. That's a lottery win in a sense. On Tuesday night we'll find out where they'll pick Thursday, June 27. Time: Tuesday, May 21, 8:30 p.m. ET TV: ESPN Pistons rep: Andre Drummond Odds to winning Team (record) Number of combinations Percent Orlando (20-62) 250 25 Charlotte (21-61) 199 19.9 Cleveland (24-58) 156 15.6 Phoenix (25-57) 119 11.9 New Orleans (27-55) 88 8.8 Sacramento (28-54) 63 6.3 DETROIT PISTONS (29-53) 36 3.6 Washington (29-53) 35 3.5 Minnesota (31-51) 17 1.7 Portland (33-49) 11 1.1 Philadelphia (34-48) 8 0.8 Toronto (34-48) 7 0.7 Mavericks (41-41) 6 0.6 Utah (43-39) 5 0.5 Pistons 1st round draft history (last 10 years): 2012 - No. 9 - Andre Drummond2011 - No. 8 - Brandon Knight 2010 - No. 7 - Greg Monroe 2009 - No. 15 - Austin Daye2008 - No. 29 - D.J. White2007 - No. 15 - Rodney Stuckey 2007 - No. 27 - Arron Afflalo 2006 - No 1st round pick 2005 - No. 26 - Jason Maxiell 2004 - No 1st round pick 2003 - No. 2 - Darko It's going to be easier to get excited about mock drafts once the Pistons learn their exact draft slot this evening, but some of you might like to take a peek at Tom Ziller's latest at the SB Nation mothership. Assuming the Pistons stay at No. 7, he has Detroit picking a certain Michigan point guard: 7. Detroit Pistons: Trey Burke I don't think Jose Calderon will stick around given that a new coach will be in place, Brandon Knight is being turned into a two-guard and Rodney Stuckey is always two seconds from a trade. So, yeah, Burke.

The Pistons will tell you it’s better to be lucky on draft night than on lottery night. Andre Drummond, last year’s pick when the lottery played to form and the Pistons stayed at No. 9, will represent them on stage tonight.

The Detroit Free Press published an un-bylined article called “Pistons’ coaching search: Who’s been interviewed so far.” It contains a chart with several coaches on the market and a column called “Interview.” Maurice Cheeks and Brian Shaw each have a ‘Y’ in their row under the “Interview column.” I have no specific information about whether the Pistons interviewed Cheeks or Shaw, but I’m extremely skeptical. I doubt the Free Press would break news of either interview in a format like this, and neither interview has been reported elsewhere that I’ve seen. Cheeks’ name has been floated a few times by beat writers, but none that I’ve seen have gone as far to report the Pistons are interested. Mostly, the wording has been something along the lines of: Cheeks is believed to be on the Pistons’ radar. I’ve seen no solid reports he’s a candidate, let alone that he’s interviewed. The Pacers have consistently maintained they’d prefer their assistants wait to interview until after Indiana completes it’s playoff run, and there has been no indication Shaw has deviated from that. There was a sourced report the Pistons contacted Shaw about setting up an interview, and though that was often twisted as it spread across the internet, the report didn’t even go as far to say Shaw had agreed to interview at any point. More likely than not, the Free Press chart was compiled by someone who’s not closely following the Pistons’ coaching search – though I’ll acknowledge the slightest chance it was compiled by someone who’s following the Pistons’ coaching search more closely than anyone else. If that’s the case, the Free Press should put a byline on that piece and explain more about sourcing behind the Cheeks and Shaw interviews. Until then, take this with a grain of salt.