For the second year in a row, the Pistons are drafting from France.
Detroit selected French point guard Killian Hayes seventh overall in the NBA Draft Wednesday night. He'll join a young core that also features Sekou Doumbouya, Detroit's first-round pick in 2019.
Hayes, who turned 19 in July, averaged 11.6 points and 5.4 assists in the top professional league last season in Germany. He'll give the Pistons their long-needed point guard of the future.
"Very explosive," NBA analyst and former Detroit Mercy star Rashad Phillips told 97.1 The Ticket. "Reminds me of Deangelo Russell a little bit. He's terrific in the ball screen action. Doesn't shoot the 3 really well — only 29 percent from the Euro 3 — but I believe that's something that he can work on.
"But as far as ball screening and getting in space and scoring, he's terrific there."
