***THE PICKS***

Chad Ford graded the Pistons draft as an "A-".

DETROIT PISTONS GRADE: A-


Round 1: Brandon Knight (8)
Round 2: Kyle Singler (33, obtained from Toronto), Vernon Macklin (52)

Analysis: Knight wasn't the Pistons' biggest need, but he was the best talent on the board when the Pistons selected and GM Joe Dumars didn't hesitate to take him. I applaud that. Dumars can figure out how to fit Knight into a somewhat crowded backcourt, and teams typically fare better when they don't worry about fit and take the best player on the board. Knight isn't a sure thing, but he's a hardworking, unselfish player with all the tools to be great if he puts it together.

I'm not in love with the Singler pick, but I also can't argue definitively that there was a better prospect for the Pistons to take at No. 33. You can't teach toughness and Singler has loads of it. If he ever becomes a consistent shooter, he could be a threat.

Knight/Stuckey back court is very intriguing. But Stuckey needs to extend the range of his jumper. He needs to have Rip's range essentially.

There is potential for a Knight/Stuckey backcourt to work, but Knight still has to become the primary ballhandler/distributor and Stuckey still has to play off the ball and improve his jumper.

I'm trying to think of a situation where 2 combo guards successfully shared a back court in a traditional offense (which is only what I can assume we'll run given the lack of a current head coach). Really it might come down to Knight becoming a PG, I think we're all confident that Stuckey might be better suited for the 2 spot.

According to Silvertongue, Knight defines himself as a PG, no worries.

His and stuckey spots depend on matcups, I guess. But this style needs also helluva good coach, not simply a "motivator" or "entertainment value" aka Bill Laimbeer.

If Knight has the shooting range and his main weakness is that he's turnover prone and if Stuckey protects the ball well, but has no range, then why not keep Stuckey at PG and have Knight play SG?

The other team is going to have their guys guard whomever they match up best against and they won't care how we define their positions.

Laimbeer, in my eyes, was always the bull rider. Not the rodeo clown.

"Tgbtg! Happy to be apart of the Detroit Piston family. Thanks to all the fans for their support!" - Brandon Knight, via Twitter.

My only question is, if both Biyombo and Knight were available at 8, which would Joe D have chosen?

And since we didn't get the shot-blocking big we wanted, maybe we go after unrestricted free agent Samuel Dalembert? He's a near carbon copy of Biyombo, but a tad taller.

The Pistons like most teams, liked Knight, but other than Irving, everyone picking ahead of the Pistons wanted a big that could provide defense, shot blocking and some type of rebounding. Just so happen, by the time they got to the 8th spot, all of the top 10 bigs had been snatched with only the Morris twins left over to pick from.

I am certain though based on need, Joe would have leaned Bismacks way, but since he was gone he had to take the best or highest rated dude still on the block which was Knight. I know on the official Pistons Facebook page, the fans were upset that he did not choose the more well known Kemba, but most warmed up to Knight, once they went back and did their research.

The only big I would have considered picking over Knight were Kanter. I don't see any way this and last years draft could have played out better. We have our most talented young prospects at the two positions hardest to fill - point guard and center - and we got there by picking BPA. And next years draft is loaded with quality at SG, SF and PF.

I would have taken Knight at #3.

Billiam, that just goes to show how little you know...I would have taken him at #2. Point Guard all the way.

I agree.

I also think the media is inaccurate when they say that the 1 wasn't a position of need for the Pistons. At worse this was as big an area of need as a big man.

From Brandon Knights FB page

Hopefully he was able to throw it closer the plate than John Wall did...

I would argue that PG was the Pistons biggest need. I might have taken him at #2. Williams and Irving will definitely be impactful.

It's really nice for Joe that he wasn't forced to make a decision that could be second guessed for years to come.

When ever the season does start, wouldn't be a surprsie to all, expecially Dan Gilbert if Williams and Knight are battling it out in the end for rookie of the year...after all the hype given to Kyrie 11 games in college Irving?

I'm glad they didn't have to take Biyombo. I'm thinking he's stiff city baby!

I'll take Beast Mack over Bismack any day.

YouTube - ‪Draft Preview: Vernon Macklin‬‏

Is that him with the hose?