Pistons Big Board - Who Should Detroit Select at No. 5?

I polled 40 people to put together the most comprehensive look at what prospects should top the list for Trajan Langdon.

The Process

I reached out to 50+ (my hope was to get 50 responses but I came up short with just 40) people in all areas of college, NBA Draft and NBA basketball with the goal of putting together the most comprehensive look at what people thought the Detroit Pistons Big Board should look like at No. 5. I did not ask for anything other than their list of names with the exclusion of Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, who I assume will not be available when Detroit is on the clock. I briefly considered allowing “trade up” and “trade back” as options but decided not to because of the caveats I assumed that would come with them. The rest of the article will show those results and some of my quick analysis on the data BUT my hope is this will drive discussion from ALL OF YOU and would love to hear your analysis and takeaways!!!

***SPECIAL THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO COME UP WITH AND CONTRIBUTE THEIR RANKINGS AND JAMES PLOWRIGHT FOR LETTING ME COPY HIS IDEA***

The Groups

Pistons Fans - self exclamatory

Draft Specific Scout - these are NBA Draft scouts and analysts in a multitude of areas

General Content Creator - these are basketball minds that cover a wide range of teams from the Pistons to other teams in the NBA at large to college basketball but people who I know keep a strong eye on the draft

The Data

(1st Place Vote = 5, 2nd Place Vote = 4, 3rd Place Vote = 3, 4th Place Vote = 2, 5th Place Vote = 1, No Vote = 0 - 40 TOTAL VOTES)

Players

THE “WINNER”

Reed Sheppard (full scout here or Pistons specific here)

• Overall Results - 3.48 Average (1st), 4 No Votes, 17 1st Place Votes

• Pistons Fan Results - 3.36 Average (2nd)

• Draft Scouts Results - 3.38 Average (1st)

• Content Creators Results - 3.69 Average (1st)

My Thoughts

Sheppard absolutely running away with this was not necessarily what I was anticipating when I started out. Not only does he have the best average score but by a wide margin as no other player came with a score above 2.5 when looking at all 40 votes. His results were also fairly consistent across the board in terms of the three different groups. I think this speaks to not only the need for floor spacing for the Pistons but the fit next to Cade and just how highly ranked he is overall on big boards.

THE “NEXT 3”

Donovan Clingan (full scout here or Pistons specific here)

• Overall Results - 2.40 Average (2nd), 11 No Votes, 8 1st Place Votes

• Pistons Fan Results - 3.55 Average (1st)

• Draft Scouts Results - 1.69 Average (4th)

• Content Creators Results - 2.31 Average (t-3rd)

My Thoughts

Clingan immediately begins to show where some of the variance in this exercise begins. As you can see, he was the favorite for Pistons fans which surprised me but also perhaps speaks to the fanbases trust in Jalen Duren after two seasons. I think the more fascinating result was that of the Draft Scouts where he actually ended up 4th. Where Clingan seemed to really stand out was in the 1st and 2nd place votes (16) with almost half (7) of those coming from the Pistons fans. I have warmed up to this idea over time. Clingan should be able to begin to help fix the defensive issues for this team and I do think you could keep both he and Duren on the roster for a season until you figure out the long term plan (keep both or trade Duren).

Dalton Knecht (full scout here or Pistons specific here)

• Overall Results - 2.38 Average (3rd), 7 No Votes, 2 1st Place Votes

• Pistons Fan Results - 2.09 Average (3rd)

• Draft Scouts Results - 2.63 Average (2nd)

• Content Creators Results - 2.31 Average (t-3rd)

My Thoughts

Knecht’s numbers were much more consistent in the same way as Sheppard BUT just not with the top end votes. He received just seven 1st or 2nd place votes which would rank 5th but had 16 3rd place votes alone (this is the second most votes for a player in specific spot only behind Sheppard’s 1st place votes). It should also be noted that he had the second least “no votes” behind only Sheppard and was just one point in the overall score from being tied for 2nd with Clingan. My immediate takeaway from these results is that people across the board like in the top 10 and think he is a good fit for the Pistons BUT may seem to feel that No. 5 is just a little too rich.

Matas Buzelis (full scout here or Pistons specific here)

• Overall Results - 2.15 Average (4th), 12 No Votes, 6 1st Place Votes

• Pistons Fan Results - 1.73 Average (5th)

• Draft Scouts Results - 2.25 Average (3rd)

• Content Creators Results - 2.38 Average (2nd)

My Thoughts

Buzelis is the final of the three players who were somewhat grouped together after the landslide “victory” from Sheppard and before a decent drop to the final two players who received substantial votes. He had perhaps the most evenly spread results in terms of every possible result (other than the “no votes”) received either five or six votes. Of the six players who received significant votes, Buzelis was one of two players (Knecht) where the Pistons fans were much lower than the other two groups. I think most would agree that his projected archetype is absolutely something this roster could use but the skepticism around whether he actually hits that outcome is real.

THE “FINAL TWO”

Ron Holland (full scout here or Pistons specific here)

• Overall Results - 1.58 Average (5th), 18 No Votes, 2 1st Place Votes

• Pistons Fan Results - 2.00 Average (4th)

• Draft Scouts Results - 1.63 Average (5th)

• Content Creators Results - 1.15 Average (6th)

My Thoughts

With 23 total points between Buzelis and G League Ignite teammate, Holland, we enter a new tier of results. I was actually a little surprised that Pistons fan were the most favorable to him in the exercise and can’t help but wonder what that might mean for people’s thoughts on Jaden Ivey (similar to what I mentioned with Duren during the Clingan portion). I have Holland as the No. 3 player on my personal big board but that is in a tier with multiple other players who seem to be a better “fit”. I think the upside for this kid is very high but the floor spacing concerns are real.

Stephon Castle (full scout here or Pistons specific here)

• Overall Results - 1.38 Average (6th), 20 No Votes, 3 1st Place Votes

• Pistons Fan Results - 1.64 Average (6th)

• Draft Scouts Results - 0.94 Average (7th)

• Content Creators Results - 1.69 Average (5th)

My Thoughts

Castle (55 total points) is the final player who received any more than 17 total points but is also the only player in the top six that actually had a lower average than someone not in the top six. Our group of Draft Scouts actually had Nikola Topic slightly higher. Castle had the most “No Votes” of the top six and the least (six, just shy of Knecht at seven) amount of 1st or 2nd place votes. While I understand the fit concerns with Castle (similar to Holland), I will admit I was surprised to see him lower than Holland due to his seemingly better feel for the game and “solid” (I see Castle as a more fundamentally sound defender to Holland being more disruptive) point of attack perimeter defense. I am not saying I disagree, just that I was surprised.

THE '“OTHERS”

Nikola Topic (full scout here)

• Overall Results - 0.43 Average (7th), 34 No Votes, 2 1st Place Votes

My Thoughts

When I started this I would have lost a lot of money betting that Topic would not receive a single 1st place vote in this exercise. I would assume this being due to Topic simply being the BPA on most boards and maybe even the end of a tier OR the upside of having two big time on ball creators. I will say that this would be an interesting fit and while it’s not what I have envisioned next to Cade, perhaps I should be a little more open minded to it.

Tidjane Salaun (full scout here)

• Overall Results - 0.35 Average (t-8th), 34 No Votes, 0 1st Place Votes

My Thoughts

I actually thought Salaun might finish a tad higher here. I did not expect a Top 6 finish but only showing up on six ballots would not have been my guess. I assumed at least a handful of 4th or 5th place votes would come his way but, similar to Knecht, I wonder if this just speaks to people not being comfortable with him this high. I wonder if “trading back for Salaun” was an option what the results would have been.

Rob Dillingham (full scout here)

• Overall Results - 0.35 Average (t-8th), 33 No Votes, 0 1st Place Votes

My Thoughts

In all honesty, I am just a tad lower on Dillingham than the consensus and really only look at him in the top five (and maybe even top 10) if it is in a spot that can absolutely insulate him defensively (Spurs) and let him “cook” with the ball in his hands to be that primary option. I just do not feel that is Detroit.

Cody Williams (full scout here)

• Overall Results - 0.28 Average (10th), 34 No Votes, 0 1st Place Votes

My Thoughts

If you asked me for the “surprise but realistic” pick that the Pistons could make at No. 5 I think my answer would be Salaun OR Cody Williams. Williams was a highly touted HS recruit, has the family pedigree and was once considered a top five pick. He possesses many qualities that this Pistons team should be looking for but he simply is lower on my board. Similar to Salaun, my comfort level with drafting him would increase dramatically if it involved a trade back to do so.

Others Receiving Votes - Devin Carter, Bub Carrington, Zach Edey, Jared McCain, Ja’Kobe Walter

Conclusion

The idea behind this was not to sway fans on who they think Trajan Langdon and the Pistons should draft but get a “PULSE” (speaking of, go listen to The Pistons Pulse with myself and Omari Sankofa II - we will be joined LIVE by Laz Jackson Monday at 4:30pm ET) of what a the Big Board could look like by taking information from as many avenues as possible. I hope this was informative, drives discussion and that some of you will find other trends in the data that I may have overlooked!!!