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NBA Draft Rumors: Detroit Pistons To Take A Power Forward In Upcoming Draft

By Ernest Shepard
Published on: 11:47 PST, Jun 12, 2016

Heading into the upcoming NBA Draft the Detroit Pistons are a team with a handful of needs. As a team who surprised a few people by making the NBA Playoffs this season, the Pistons want to take the next step forward. They have a plan in place to do so.

According to the Detroit Free Press, taking a power forward in the NBA Draft is one way for the Pistons to move upward.

Whether or not that sticks remains to be seen. Although we are less than two weeks away from the NBA Draft, which is on June 23rd. A lot can happen between now and then.

A team wowing the Pistons with a trade offer for center Andre Drummond could happen. That would change things considerably if a trade were to happen. The potential return would be huge.

Not that the Pistons are looking to move Andre Drummond. In fact, the power forward they are hoping to find in the NBA Draft is one who can work with their all-star center in a tandem. Their partnership would have to be one that grows into a dominant frontcourt, which can rule the Eastern Conference for years. It will all depend on which player they choose in the NBA Draft.

Detroit will pick 18th in the NBA Draft. There are no indications that the Pistons will trade the pick to move up or down in the draft. Power forward is the Pistons greatest need. It is a position that is plentiful in the upcoming draft. So much so that the Detroit Pistons can stay where they are and get a good player. The one qualification that Pistons’ head coach and lead decision-maker Stan Van Gundy requires is that any candidate must have is that the power forward must be able to shoot.

“First of all, I think the game is moving smaller and quicker as it is. The teams that have continued to play with two big guys, at least one of them is — if not both — is a guy who can step away and make shots.”

They are a handful of power forwards who can stretch the floor. Gonzaga sophomore Domantas Sabonis fits that description. If the NBA Draft goes according to ESPN’s Big Board by Chad Ford, Sabonis will go within the top-10.

That will take him out of the picture for now. More players will be available to the Pistons at No. 18. Michigan State’s Deyonta Davis and Australia’s Thon Maker may still be on board by the time the Pistons make their choice. Thon Maker has had the attention of the Detroit Pistons since early May, according M-Live.

Maker was originally viewed as an option with the Pistons’ second round pick. Given he has shot up the NBA draft boards that is no longer the case. Thon Maker was a relatively unknown commodity prior to the NBA Draft Combine. Athleticism is fairly rare, Maker can hit shots, and his defense is good enough to earn him some playing time.

To play with the Pistons, especially for Stan Van Gundy, defending is a requirement. If a player lacks effort of the defensive end he will sit on the bench. Defense wins championships is the old sport’s cliche. Thon Maker wants to win an NBA title. The 19 year-old with a picture of the Larry O’Brien trophy seems to be a fit with the Detroit Pistons.

“I’ve had this for two years. I love trophies. I collect them in my room. I don’t know, it’s beautiful. Makes my phone look good. Matches in with the gold.”

Thon Maker is the prototype of what the Pistons are looking for. If he is available when they pick at No. 18, he will be the choice.

Getting swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs have the Detroit Pistons wanting to do more. They want to return to the NBA Finals after a long absence. As the Detroit Pistons seek to improve their team, the NBA Draft is one place where they can find help.

[Photo by Roberto Serra/Iguana Press/Getty Images]

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