Pistons' Draft Outlook Fixed On The Future
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
Though Stan Van Gundy doesn't expect the Pistons to find an immediate difference-maker in the NBA draft, he was adamant on Tuesday afternoon that the team is eyeing prospects with long-term promise.
After picking eighth overall in the 2015 draft, Detroit holds the 18th selection this year (along with the 49th overall pick in round two). The less favorable position – though a reflection of the team's recent growth – makes for a murkier outlook heading into Thursday night's draft.
"I don't know if at 18 there's a guy who we look at and say, 'That guy can step in right now.' There's nobody that I look at that way," said Van Gundy, the Pistons' head coach and president of basketball operations. "The pick is based on the guy we think can be the best player inside that rookie contract… So inside those first four years, who do we think can be the best player and play the biggest role for us? That's where our thoughts will be."
In that light, the Pistons aren't necessarily concerned with a player's position. What matters to them is selecting the prospect who has the most potential to be a reliable contributor on a competitive team.
"One of the things we said, in terms of framing what we want to do in the draft, was position wouldn't have any bearing…We think we've got a pretty good young core, our team is balanced, so we could really use help just about anywhere, so position will not be a factor in where we pick," Van Gundy said.
By the same token, the Pistons will not be dissuaded from pursuing certain players in free agency based on who they pick in the draft. Because the team's front office anticipates selecting developmental pieces more than instant-impact starters, there will be room for improvement no matter who they bring on board.
"Nothing that we do Thursday night will change the way we look at free agency," Van Gundy clarified. "So if we draft a point guard, let's say, in one of the two spots on Thursday night, we'll still be looking at a point guard in free agency. If we draft a true power forward in the draft on Thursday night we're still going out looking for one…In our planning, nothing will change based on what happens Thursday night."
In discussing the potential of mid-first-round picks, Van Gundy was cautiously optimistic. Without setting the ceiling too high, he feels prospects in that range of the draft have a firm chance to become key rotational players – not in their rookie season, perhaps, but ideally in the seasons that follow.
"The expectation is, on the outside, [he makes an impact] within that rookie contract. You're hoping second year, third year – I think first year is a real bonus. We sort of knew last year we had a chance to get a guy who was going to come in and contribute right away and we did, in Stanley [Johnson.] Picking at 18 is a little bit different. We'd like to think that guy can help us in his second year and certainly by the third year would be our hope, but depending on who you get everybody develops at different rates. It's a good pick to me if that guy is able to contribute while he's still on his rookie contract," said Van Gundy.
While it's impossible to know exactly who will be available when the Pistons make their pick, Van Gundy and Co. have a relatively clear idea of how things will shake out within the top ten. It's a guessing game from there, but the front office is confident they will find a player to their liking no matter how things unfold in front of them.
"Our [scouting team] gave me only seven names that they're absolutely sure [will not be available at 18] but there's another four that would be pretty shocking, too. So I'm going to say there's 11 guys that won't get to us," Van Gundy said. "But there's enough players on our list beyond those 11 who we like that we're confident there's going to be somebody there that we like, and even deeper into the draft."
As important as it is for the team's draft picks to develop over time, their progress isn't viewed in a vacuum. Their maturation – steady or not – has ramifications on the entire roster.
"There's no question you need to have guys on a rookie deal to be able to help you financially but you need those guys to contribute. Just having them there doesn't really do a lot… You need to hit on a couple… I think we can get a guy at 18 this year who will help us moving forward, and if you can do that and you can have core players potentially playing on low-contract deals it gives you a lot more flexibility to go out and get free agents and make trades and resign your own guys," said Van Gundy.
That, of course, is a matter for the future. The most pressing concern for the Pistons right now is coming home from the draft – to be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn – with two players who inspire optimism in the present.
