NBA Draft: Grades for all 15 teams in the Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference NBA Draft Grades: Detroit Pistons

Picks: Jaden Ivey, Guard, Purdue (5); Jalen Duren, Center, Memphis (13); Gabriele Procida, Wing, Bologna (46)

The Detroit Pistons got a player in Cade Cunningham in last year’s draft who is an elite playmaker, a great scorer and shooter and a really strong defender. He is not an elite athlete, however, and attacks defenses with precision and not speed.

That makes Jaden Ivey such an excellent fit, as he brings a relentless rim attack and an unstoppable force in tradition, the lightning to Cunningham’s thunder. Playing with Cade means Ivey doesn’t have to be the sole playmaker, a better fit as he grows into that sort of a role. He will need to lock in on defense, but going to a team like Detroit that could get better quickly will be better than a team like Sacramento forever languishing at the bottom.

Rumors began almost immediately that the Pistons wanted to trade back into the lottery to take Memphis center Jalen Duren, and I theorized that it could be a galaxy move to give them a better chance at making a run at Miles Bridges:

That theory didn’t exactly play out, as the Pistons traded in with Charlotte, took Duren, and the Hornets came back around and took Mark Williams at 15. Duren gives the Pistons another blue-chip player with plenty of upside, and his verticality at the rim and ability to catch lobs is a fantastic pairing with both Cade and Ivey. COST

The Pistons next picked at 36, the second they gained in the Jerami Grant deal. They used that on Gabriele Procida, a 6’8″ wing from Italy who is likely to stay overseas for another year or two but has a lot of potential as a shooter.

Grade: B+