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The Detroit Pistons have quite a few options with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. There are quite a few options for them to choose from with that pick, but ESPN’s Chad Ford believes that they should take Wisconsin Badgers small forward Sam Dekker with the pick in his latest mock draft. That would be a big mistake for the Pistons, and there is one player in particular that they should take ahead of him.
Stanley Johnson is the same position, and is without question the better draft prospect. Drafting him would give them a potential star in the future, and there is a chance that he could end up being one of the top players that came out of this draft class.
If the Pistons truly do decide to go with a small forward, then Johnson needs to be their guy. He has actually received comparisons to LeBron James for his body style and the way he plays the game, and his work ethic has been well documented as well. Johnson was very solid during his freshman season with the Arizona Wildcats, and his potential for the future is through the roof.
During his 2014 season with the Wildcats, Johnson ended up averaging 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He shot 44.6 percent from the field overall and 37.1 percent from behind the three-point arc.
Obviously there are still some areas of his game that he’ll need to improve in order to take the leap to stardom that many expect him to make. That is the case with any draft prospect in any sport, but taking the risk that he’ll make that leap is more than worth it for the Pistons. His offensive potential alone is cause enough for them to go with him at No. 8, and he would immediately be an upgrade at the small forward position.
While Johnson is better than Dekker and should be the Pistons’ top choice, this column is not about calling Dekker a bad player. He is going to have a very successful NBA career himself, but his potential isn’t quite as high as Johnson’s. Detroit needs to draft the best player available, and that would be Johnson at the small forward position.
At 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds, Johnson’s athleticism is what will separate him at the next level. Having the physical body that he has to go along with the ability to jump out of the gym bodes well for his future at the next level. The Pistons run a fast paced offensive system, which is another area that his athleticism will fit in perfectly.
All of that being said, the Pistons are going to have a hard decision picking between both of these players. Dekker’s value skyrocketed during the NCAA Tournament, where he helped power the Badgers to the championship game. He hadn’t been quite as dominant throughout the regular season, but his success on the big stage still cannot be taken away from him.
Needless to say, it will be very interesting to see who they come away with in the draft. If they do snag Johnson, he is going to be a major building block for them long-term. He has superstar potential, whereas Dekker simply has the likelihood of being a very solid role player.
Johnson is without question the number one player that the Pistons should have on their board if the draft goes the way that Ford predicted it to. Detroit has a lot of talent on their roster, but they cannot afford to miss with this selection.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
