Thanks to Jason from MVN’s Motoring, a Detroit Pistons blog.

Previous season record: 53-29, first in the Eastern Conference.
Picks held: Round 1 picks 15 & 27 - Round 2 pick 27 (57th overall)

Positions in need: Regardless if they resign FA Chauncey Billups, Detroit needs a point guard. Lindsey Hunter cannot fulfill the minutes of a total backup and the days of running the starters most of the game is done, according to Dumars. Flip Murray will still be around next season (announced on the 26th of June he would exercise his player option to remain with the team) however with the recent trade of Carlos Delifno the swing spot (G/F) is bare. I would not count on Chris Webber coming back so the front court will be an issue as well. Virtually, all the positions are in need.

Dream Scenerio: There are plenty of different “dream” trades I could go through (A friend of mine suggested Tayshaun Prince & Richard Hamilton to Atlanta for Joe Johnson and the #3 pick. According to ESPN’s trade machine, it works. Atlanta could still get their point guard with their #11 plus gain two veterans to join their young core. Allowing the Pistons to take either Al Horford or Corey Brewer at #3 and still have the #27 to play with. It works) However, keeping the current pick, I would hope that either Acie Law, Nick Young, Thaddeus Young, or Al Thornton would be around at #15 and going with one of them. Law would be my first choice, savvy guard that knows how to score, and reminds me of a young Chauncey Billups. Who better to learn under? With the Pistons next pick at 27, I would love to see Derrick Byars from Vandy or Morris Almond from Rice. Both are dynamic scorers with big bodies (both 6′6″)  Byars offers a little more on defense and Almond is one of the best, if not the best shooter in the draft. Either would work. With their last pick, I would like to see Marc Gasol (Pau’s brother) fall to them at 57. The way the Pistons have thrown away their late draft picks, why not take a risk if he is there. Plus, with the departure of Carlos Delfino the Pistons do not have any international players around, and that means Igor Kokoskov (assistant coach that mainly worked with the international players) could be on his way out…however, I like Igor so grabbing Gasol might keep Igor around as well. Remember, “dream” situation.

Realistic Situation: Just about every single mock draft under the sun has Rodney Stuckey going to the Pistons. However, while I was at a practice during the playoffs, I overheard the former Director of Player Personnel (Scott Perry, now with the Sonics) and Director of Scouting (George David) talking to one of the Pistons beat writers and when this was brought up they laughed at the thought, basically adding that they would not be looking at a player like “that”. Now, I took that as meaning they do not want a six-four guard that is not really a two guard and not really a point guard? Who knows, I’ll stick with the mocks and assume they are now in love with Stuckey for a reason that I would not agree with. I think that Byars or Almond will fall to #27, and they take one of them. Detroit needs a scorer that can play the two and the three, both of these guys fill that role. If the Pistons go with Stuckey and either Almond or Byars with their first two picks they will need to go big with the last pick. I think they might take a guy they can stash overseas like they did a few years back with Memo Okur. Ali Traore would be a good choice. Keep him overseas to develop and see if anything comes out of it. Hey, it worked with Memo!

Here is a quick rundown of the past ten years:

• 1997

  • Round 1, pick 19: Scot Pollard: Played one year with the Pistons playing in only 33 games (dynamite for your first round pick!) and averaged 2.7 ppg but not to be outdone by his outstanding 2.24 reb. per game average.
  • Round 2, pick 32: Charles O’Bannon: Amassed 48 games in a span of two years in Detroit. Career totals with the Pistons, 2.5 ppg, 3 TOTAL assists in two seasons!

• 1998

  • Round 1, pick 11: Bonzi Wells: Solid career, wish I could tell you it was with the Pistons…Detroit traded his rights on Draft day to the Portland Trailblazers.
  • Round 2, pick 40: Korleone Young: High School kid out of Hargrave Military Academy. Played just three games with the Pistons in his only season scoring 4.3 ppg and grabbing a total of four rebounds and dishing out one assist.

• 1999

  • Round 2, pick 54: Melvin Levett: (I know, I had totally forgot about this guy too) His draft rights were immediately traded to the LA Lakers for Derek Harper (who I might add played just as many games for the Pistons as I have)

• 2000 (Joe Dumars’ first draft as President of Basketball Operations)

  • Round 1, pick 14: Mateen Cleaves: Really? The guy was a dynamite college point guard…without a jumpshot and busted up ankles. I know it was a terrible draft year but the best player from Michigan State was still left on the board! (Mo Pete went seven picks later!!)
  • Round 2, pick 44: Brian Cardinal: I like what Joe was doing here, hell we’re all fans of the Big Ten here in the mid-west, keep drafting players from the Big Ten! Cardinal played 23 games with the Pistons averaging just over two points and one rebound per game.

• 2001

  • Round 1, pick 9: Rodney White: Came from the University of Charlotte and basically should have never left. Clearly came out of college too soon and had some off the court issues that needed to be handled. In and out of trouble during his short stint in the league and never did anything in his even shorter stint with the Pistons. Played 16 games with 3.5 ppg and grabbed just 18 total rebounds in his one year stay.
  • Round 2, pick 38: Mehmet Okur: Dynamite pick. Stashed him overseas for a few years, brought him back to help win the championship in 2004…now he is an all-star for the Jazz and we do not have any players to show for it. Such a treat just to watch him run up and down the floor, he is so graceful.

• 2002

  • Round 1, pick 23: Tayshaun Prince: Good find at 23, really came into his own when he got the opportunity to shut down a very talkative Tracy Mcgrady in the 2002 Playoffs. Aside from my disdain for Tay, he has turned into a great player. (I am going to play the hindsight is 20/20 game) if he is not drafted here the Pistons would have had a spot for Carmelo in the next years draft, more than likely would have three at least two titles and would be doing a heck of a lot better today…but that is neither here nor there.

• 2003

  • Round 1, pick 2: Darko Milicic: Worst draft pick in Detroit sports history. I do not care what you bring to me, tell me or try to argue. This pick could not have been any worse. If you go down pick by pick, there are 3 players that could have been a worse (Reece Gaines, Zarko Cabarkapa, and Zorin Planinic) and the last guy is pushing it. I get it that Rasheed was not on the team when this pick was made, however at the second pick, you do not take a project! I could spend the rest of my life explaining why this pick was terrible. I will stop now.
  • Round 1, pick 25: Carlos Delfino: Not Josh Howard or Leandro Barbosa, Carlos Delfino. Excuse me while I step away from the computer and jump in front of a bus. So we needed a player like Delfino? A swing guard that can slash to the bucket, hit an open shot from time to time and play a few different spots? Hmmmm Dwayne Wade was there at #2? The best player in college basketball was there at #2 (Carmelo Anthony), the ACC player of the year was there at #25 (Josh Howard), so do you see how these two picks were botched so badly? Again, back in front of the bus I go.
  • Round 2, pick 58: Andreas Glyniadakis: I am not even getting into this, ninety-nine percent of the people reading this cannot even say his name, nor have ever heard anyone in the NBA pronounce it properly, the other one percent is a goggle bot or a yahoo slurp spider.

• 2004

  • Round 2, pick 54: Rickey Paulding: I loved the pick. The kid was a stud his first couple years of college (totally fell off his senior year) and a local kid from Detroit. Problem was that he peaked between his sophomore/junior year at Missouri. Funny, if you grab a Piston media guide you wont even find him in the “All-Time Pistons Roster” section.

• 2005

  • Round 1, pick 26: Jason Maxiell: Solid pick at this spot, huge fan favorite (including websites that claim he “eats babies” wtfdetroit.com and detriotbadboys.com). Looks to be an energy guy off the bench, too undersized to start on an every day basis, but again a solid pick.
  • Round 2, pick 56: Amir Johnson: I will cut to the point with Amir…I flat out love the guy as a player. Former California high school player of the year, young, athletic and can fly up and down the court. I have had the opportunity to see him practice the past couple years and he has looked dynamite. Next year will be his time to shine has Joe has already stressed the point that the younger guys will get more time on the court. I look for him to be a solid piece for years to come and if he were coming out in this draft he would be a lottery pick. Joe has came on the air in Detroit already saying that himself.
  • Round 2, pick 60: Alex Acker: Some say he has NBA talent, others just think he is a good European player. I doubt he will ever make a splash in a Piston jersey.

• 2006

  • Round 2, pick 60: Will Blalock: I would be shocked if he made the roster next season….very shocked.

Thanks Jason, and to read more about the Detroit Pistons, visit his blog!