Tuesday, Pistons Learned where they would choose during next month
Weaver once again has the opportunity to look at talent.
Jabari Smith of Auburn, Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga, and Paolo Banchero of Duke can be off board when Detroit is in time. One of the top border players in the draft, Jaden Ivey (Purdue) or Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky), will probably be gone. If the team chooses Keegan Murray for Iowa, both guards may be available when Pistons chooses. Even if Holmgren is out of the top four, that’s not a complete surprise.
This draft is expected to be unpredictable. League sources believe there are one or two surprises in the top five picks. Assuming Smith, Banchero and Holmgren are off board, the pistons focus on four perspectives: Murray, Sharp, Ivy and Benedict Maturin in Arizona, sources say. Each player is intrigued by Detroit. That’s why Pistons decision makers will do due diligence over the next month, gradually improving the larger boards as the draft approaches.
Let’s look at all four outlooks and why Detroit is interested. It also contains the information I have collected about the outlook for the next few days in Chicago.
Keegan Murray (21 years old), F, Iowa
According to some league sources, the oldest Murray is considered to be the most balanced outlook. Some people say that the ceiling is not high due to age, but Murray is late blooming and has improved dramatically every year since the first year of high school. As a sophomore, Murray was 5 feet -10 and 145 pounds. Currently, he was one of the best players in college at 6 feet 8 pounds and 215 pounds. After graduating from high school, Murray attended a preparatory school in Florida to get a Division I offer. After spending a season in college, he was arguably the best and most versatile scorer in college.
So what does Murray say when asked about the notion that he doesn’t have as high a ceiling as some other prospects in his class?
“I say I’m 21 in my 18-year-old body,” Murray said. Athletic Thursday
“I feel like my ceiling is higher than anyone else. I’m late blooming. I haven’t grown up to my body yet. You can see the progress from prep school to 1st and 2nd grade. I’m still gaining weight. “
Murray has something to do with Michigan. His father, Kenion, was a former University of Michigan basketball player from Battle Creek. Murray said he grew up traveling to Michigan once or twice a year to meet his family.He is also nearby Luka GarzaThe Pistons drafted in the second round of last season and leaned against him in the pre-draft process.
However, Pistons does not consider Murray because of his relationship with Michigan. They are interested because he has long, athletic wings that can be scored on all three levels. He can make his own shots. He was deadly during the transition. He was an elite cutter. Detroit can use all of it more. Murray’s size and ability Tobias Harris..The best scenario is Khris Middleton..Everyone I talked to around the league at Combine insisted that at least Murray would be good NBA player.
Murray said he had interviewed Pistons.
Shaedon Sharpe (18), W, Kentucky
The mystery surrounding Sharp, who didn’t play in Kentucky last season, intensified last week in Chicago as an 18-year-old boy didn’t participate in the court activities and skipped a media session at Combine.However, Sharp participated in a private group workout earlier this week, and Athletic I learned that a member of the Pistons front office was in attendance.
Sharp has 6 feet 5 wings and a wingspan of 6 feet 11. His length and athletic ability are comparable to the majority of the league’s elite wings.
Sharp is an expensive gambling and should be considered when Pistons builds around Cunningham. Ideally, Sharpe would be a great combination alongside last year’s No. 1 pick. Detroit needs more exercise and may use different wings that can generate attacks. However, he missed everything last season, so it’s difficult for an evaluator to determine how his skill set will be converted to the NBA. This needs to be taken seriously, especially as Detroit has spent most of the last decade on drafting and is now in dire straits.
Next month, Piston will do his homework and weigh the risks and rewards of drafting Sharp, as well as NBA-enabled prospects like Murray. Yes, Detroit can use reliable picks. However, you can also use good players at low cost for several seasons. The piston needs to know if Sharp will be at least a valuable NBA player.
There are pros and cons.
Jaden Ivey (20), G, Purdue
Opinions about Ivey have changed significantly more than any other outlook we discussed with league sources last week.
Some league sources adore his game and believe he should be drafted into the top three. The reason is easy to understand. Ivy is the best athlete in his 2022 class.He blends power and speed in a way that is reminiscent of peaks John wall.. Ivy is an excellent spot-up shooter. He could easily fit next to Cunningham and the Pistons roster, especially if he evolved as a playmaker. The others I talked to were concerned about his ability to pass and were higher about Sharp’s benefits and Maturin’s consistency. While at Purdue, some even mentioned Ivey’s suspicious body language. Others have exaggerated it and said he was just a fierce competitor. This is why interviews and background checks are so important at this stage of the pre-draft process.
Anyway, Ivey is an interesting prospect who has one of the highest caps in this class and can add elements that Detroit lacks.
Benedict Maturin (19), W, Arizona
Like Murray, Maturin is still considered a ready wing with some advantages. Some league sources believe that Maturin is the best wing in its class.
Born in Canada, 19 years old, he was a Pac-12 player as a sophomore last season, with a wingspan of 6 feet 6 and a wingspan of 6 feet 6. He impressed professional evaluators last season as a three-point shooter with comfortable athletic ability on half-courts and transitions. If Maturin improves as a ball handler, his ceiling will rise to another level. He said his playmaking wasn’t getting enough attention and appeared during a meeting with NBA executives.
“The team asked me what I wanted to show a little more, and (playmaking) was definitely one thing,” Maturin said. “I think people started to realize that I could pass the ball after the USC match. I played on another kind of system that already had guards. One of my biggest strengths is getting the ball. Was, and I just did what the team needed me to win. “
Maturin said he hadn’t talked to the Pistons in Chicago yet, but the combine won’t end until Sunday.
(Photo of Shaedon Sharpe: Chet White / UK Athletics)
