Bold Take: The Detroit Pistons Walked Away With Two Top 5 Rookies In This Loaded 2022 Draft Class
Back in 2020, Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver made bold claims suggesting that the effort to bring back the glory days of the Motor City was a restoration rather than a competitive rebuild. Weaver's decisions in his first three seasons have undoubtedly affirmed his statement - he has established himself as a draft-day mastermind. In addition to leveraging impromptu trades, Troy has done a fantastic job evaluating prospect potential and capitalizing on their talents. This year, Jaden Ivey was a lock at five, but Weaver strategically dealt mere breadcrumbs to the Knicks for Jalen Duren at 13.
The aftermath? Yet another impeccable draft by the Detroit front office - who walked away with the two most freakish athletes in the 2022 draft class. Compared to other top prospects, here is how our guys should stand in the rookie rankings halfway through the season.
1. Paolo Banchero
Averaging 21.1 PPG, Banchero is the cornerstone of the Orlando Magic. He is a matchup nightmare who can take advantage of mismatches across the floor - the definition of a positionless player. He came into the league as the most NBA-ready prospect and is slowly making a case for all-star consideration. There is no question that the 6-foot-10 forward is the front-runner in the rookie race.
2. Jaden Ivey
Simply put, Jaden Ivey is a freak of nature. His Ja Morant-Esque vertical ability and downhill speed, power, and aggression, drawing comparisons to Russell Westbrook, have him in a league of his own when it comes to raw athleticism. With Cunningham out for the season, Ivey was prematurely given the responsibility to quarterback the Pistons' offense. However, his response and recent play speak for themselves. Jaden is an elite playmaker, leading all rookies in assists while scoring the third most points (15.2 PPG). His field goal percentage raises concerns; however, he will slowly learn to maneuver traffic to get better looks at the rim. The Boilermaker product's defense has also been better than expected. Ivey offers excellent help defense with a high motor and can shoot passing lanes with ease; he sits second for most steals amongst rookies.
3. Benedict Mathurin
Mathurin's hot and cold play presents an interesting case. Despite coming off the bench for portions of the season, he has been an incredible scorer for the Indiana Pacers. The Arizona product is explosive and knows how to get to his spots on offense; however, the problems lie in his lackluster playmaking, turnovers, and defensive abilities. Despite scoring 17.2 PPG, he only averages 1.4 assists per game. More often than not, he seeks out difficult shots, which leads to avoidable turnovers. So far, his season totals ring out to a mere 64 assists and an astounding 86 turnovers. In addition, he could be a better help-side and 1-on-1 defender. There's still half a season to play, but his improvement could be reasonably certain with simple fixes in his game.
4. Keegan Murray
The sharpshooter, selected at four, gets the fourth spot on this list. Murray is a deadeye marksman from three and is incredibly consistent for a rookie. His reliable shooting boasts incredible percentages, 43.3 FG% and 40.4 3P%. Despite this, his playmaking leaves much to be desired(1.0 APG), as he appears one-dimensional at times. He is averaging only 11.8 PPG but can hold his own on the defensive end. Murray's teammates carry much of the scoring on their own, but he has to embrace more of a role than the classic three-and-D guy.
5. Jalen Duren
Duren is your prototype rim-protecting center with freakish vertical abilities and offensive upside. Duren has improved to 10.1 PPG in the past month while leading all rookies in rebounds, sitting second for FG% (63.4%) and fourth in total blocks. The statistics speak for themselves; however, Duren sits only behind Banchero in Player Efficiency Rating(PER) at 15.68 among all rookie starters. Getting it done on both ends of the floor, this big man will be a force to be reckoned with as he develops over time.
