A year after watching the first round of the draft from the sidelines, the Pistons enter Thursday night's draft with the 15th overall pick.
The team is looking for shooters and playmakers, said acting general manager Ed Stefanski, but only those with the right character. As they continue to try to move up the Eastern Conference ladder and maximize the window of Blake Griffin's prime, Stefanski knows the Pistons can't afford to miss.
The prior regime can attest to that.
"I love the players that show grit, that want to be in the gym, that want to work out, that want to be coached," Stefanski said Monday. "Talent is one thing and you can't replace it, but if you don't want to put that effort in and do what we want them to do, you can strike out. And we can't strikeout. That's what I keep saying.
"We can take a swing for the fences and if we have to sit on the bench because we struck out, that's not going to help our franchise where we are today. We have to make nice little moves that help us."
The Pistons made the most of their lone pick last year, taking Bruce Brown 42nd overall. They also traded for second-rounder Khyri Thomas after he was drafted by the 76ers, another player who looks like a solid piece for the future. In both cases, the Pistons emphasized the intangibles as much as anything else.
"We have decided – and we did a real nice job in the draft last year – to get good people, number one. Hard-working people, people that are coachable, people that have some grit to them," said Stefanski. "We got two of them last year. The makeup of those two individuals we really like. That's what we feel we need, those type of players that are Detroit Pistons. Now hopefully we can get that type of player with a skillset."
Entering the offseason, Detroit's most obvious need is on the wing. Stefanski acknowledged the team doesn't have a clear-cut starter at the 3. Nor does it have much in the way of shooters, which is a particular problem in an offense that's oriented around the three-pointer.
That said, the Pistons intend to take the best player on the board with their first pick in the draft. They also have pick No. 45.
"We need to keep getting the talent better. If a wing was there that we felt had the best upside, yeah, we would take that, but there's numerous guys still in our mix in various positions. So, again, we'll go with best talent pretty much," said Stefanski.
There are a handful of promising wing players who could be available at No. 15, including Kentucky freshman Keldon Johnson and UNC freshman Nassir Little, both of whom the Pistons brought in for a workout. Other names to keep an eye on include UNC's Cameron Johnson, Kentucky's PJ Washington, and Virginia Tech's Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
The Pistons don't sound inclined to take a gamble on upside, but if they do, USC's Kevin Porter is an intriguing option. Speaking of potential, don't rule out Indiana freshman Romeo Langford.
"Listen, today's NBA is about shooters and playmakers," said Stefanski. "You can't have enough."
Ideally, Detroit's first-round pick will step in and start next season. But that's asking a lot at 15th overall. Either way, Stefanski likes the possibilities compared to last year.
"I'm happy we're at 15 instead of 42," he said. "We're going to get a player, a player that's going to help us. Will they crack the rotation next year? That's going to be tough. But they're going to be no worse than a rotation player. Hopefully we find that player and we have a terrific development group so that he becomes a starter down the line."
It's high time for the Pistons to hit on a first-round pick. Luke Kennard is the only one who remains on the roster since the team took Andre Drummond ninth overall in 2012. In fact, all eight of Detroit's draft picks from 2013-16 are gone. The Pistons are desperate for more high-end talent to make a push with Griffin in the picture.
Stefanski and Co. got off to a good start last year, mining the second round for a duo of quality players. Now they need to back it up.
