Ben Pfeifer Joins To Discuss 2024 NBA Draft, Best Prospects For Detroit Pistons At The Fifth Pick

Ben Pfeifer Joins To Discuss 2024 NBA Draft, Best Prospects For Detroit Pistons At The Fifth Pick

in today’s episode of lock on Pistons podcast we are going to be joined by Ben feifer to talk about the 2024 NBA draft class and the Pistons potentials prospects at the fifth overall pick stay tuned for all of that in today’s episode of the lockon Pistons podcast you are locked on Pistons your daily Detroit Pistons podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day what’s the welcome back to another episode of the locked on Pistons podcast per usual I’m your host kah Hill you can find me over on Twitter at Cahill I want to thank you guys make lockon pistons your first listen of every single day we’re free and available on all your podcast platforms if you haven’t already head to the YouTube channel at lockon Pistons hit that subscribe button or leave us a five star review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to this on there another great way to support the podcast and today’s episode’s brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get $200 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet the $200 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 V bet visit fanduel.com lockon to getar you hear more about FanDuel a little bit later but we are joined by P Ben Fifer my goodness I’m struggling to start the podcast off hopefully we can get going the right way uh we’re joined by Ben Fifer to talk about the NBA 2024 draft class Ben thank you for joining the podcast man taking time out I just notice this he told me before we started the podcast there is a three-hour difference so it is a little bit of a struggle to try I this was very last second and you made time out of your day to come on the podcast despite the time difference so I really appreciate it of course man benefits of working mostly like remote and from home is that I can move stuff around and do stuff like this and I definitely wouldn’t want it any other way but yeah thanks for having me on excited to talk about talk some prospects yeah absolutely and you guys can go follow him on Twitter bjf so follow him over there does great draft content uh so let’s go ahead and get into this so the first we’ll eventually obviously get into like prospects specifically at number five what I want to ask you about is everyone’s heard about it I mean it’s been a major talking point of this draft class I think since like last year at least from I’ve heard and I’m not a big draft person but I’ve heard a lot about it since last year it’s just like how weak this draft classes do you agree with that is this draft class weak do you think that’s a little pushing it too far do you think actually is like I saw some people last week like talk talking about being one of the worst or maybe let me not say worst but weakest draft class in the last like 30 years do you agree with that disagree where do you stand with this draft class I would say it’s a pretty weak class I think it’s probably the weakest class since 2013 or about that the the main sources of weakness are one there just aren’t really any super highlevel prospects is the strength of most drafts will come from their like top prospects the guys who we expect to be stars and usually are you know you’re wemi Lucas Zion Paulo Cade Moy lamelo and all those guys this draft doesn’t really have that they are definitely good prospects and we’ll get into that but I do think it’s accurate to say that that and then I think the depth is is also pretty lacking I think some of this is just going to continue to be a thing as a function of nil and decision-making process he’s kind of changing for college athletes who might have been late first or second round picks where now there’s other considerations that might entice them to go back to college or delay going to the NBA um just because this is a bad draft doesn’t mean there aren’t good prospects and there aren’t going to be good players and I think the there are a lot of interesting I think upside bets at the top but I think maybe they’re not as safe or as you know certain as as a typical draft um and there are some good older prospects as well who might not have much of a ceiling but are probably going to be able to to contribute but it is an it’s certainly an interesting class that’s very very hotly debated um so yeah so before we get into any one Prospect I also want to ask you this because I had ant wght on the podcast about a week and a half ago two weeks ago and one of the things he said on the podcast when we were talking about the draft was that this is one of those drafts if you identify someone in a weaker draft like this once you identify that one person that one prospect that you believe okay this is our guy this is the person that we believe actually could be him you should go you could do you should do everything you can to go get that person do you agree with that statement in regards to this draft or do you think that’s a little off Bas I think it depends on your circumstance and your situation I think this could be definitely be a good draft to to trade around just because of how differently people are going to Value guys and I honestly see could could definitely see teams looking to maybe trade down and trade out of picks if say you know there’s seven prospects they they view pretty equally like might as well take some decision- making out of it and and get some assets but yeah I guess if you’re really confident in a prospect in this draft there’s probably not going to be as many of those guys as there are in most drafts so it could be idea it could be a good idea to to go get them if that’s the case all right so we’ll dive into multiple prospects throughout this podcast so everyone stay tuned if you don’t hear your favorite Prospect immediately I promise we’ll get to as many as possible because I know Pistons are sitting at 5 I’ve had so many listeners like I kid you not so many listen I’ve heard probably about 20 different names like I I’ve never yeah it’s it’s crazy it’s insane I’ve heard I’ve heard so many different uh listeners say hey Co you got check out this I think they could be good at five literally like 20 different names it’s insane so I’m I’m gonna try to get through as many as possible but Ben you know the Pistons are sitting at five before we get into any one Prospect according to you I know uh I believe last year you put out one of your own um mock drafts or your your own rankings of prospects I don’t know if You’ put one out one yet for this draft um but if the Pistons stay at five who do you think is the best option for them in your opinion based on how you think the draft’s GNA shake out or I know it’s unpredictable but who are some names you think they should be looking at it’s really really tough man um the Pistons have kind of backed themselves into a corner drafting a bunch of prospects that might not necessarily fit together even if they’re all really great and especially guys who aren’t great Shooters um I believe plenty in cage shooting but assar Duren Ivy you know all have real shooting questions so I feel like the Pistons and most Pistons fans probably agree that drafting a shooter is priority number one but the problem with that is most of the best prospects in this draft are shaky Shooters um which is just a really tough combination for them but assuming like SAR is I think SAR is for sure gonna be gone seems like re AER is for sure gonna be gone even though I would have really liked him at for the Pistons at five um I would I honestly am kind of leading towards Reed Shepard being my favorite for them even though it’s another guard but I think his ability to shoot play off ball be a a guy who can play next to Kade Ivy and assar and kind of get the best out of all of them even though he might not have a crazy ceiling I think he would help everyone on that roster um he’s the main shooter I think for the same reasons I think Dillingham could be interesting but also probably not as much because he’s more of a Creator and they already have so many guys who are going to do that and then it’s you’re kind of getting down to either like older players who you’re possibly reaching on like connects or maybe more upside players like modest buellis or or Ron Holland who I really like but both have credible shooting worries so those are some names that immediately come off top of my head but there’s like you said there’s probably like quite a few more we could rattle off as realistic possible options which is nuts obviously yeah so this is what my plan is going to be in the second segment we’re going to talk about specific prospects I’ll ask you about we’ll come back and talk about Reed Shepard there’s a few prospects that one I put out a poll asking fans who they wanted to hear most about so I’ll go through each one of those and we’ll squeeze in as many as possible into the third segment as well but to wrap up the first segment I want to ask you about a Pros the only prospect so far that I’ve done any kind of Deep dive into and that’s Matas Matas is the only one I’ve done an episode on I’ve I’ve watched film on and had a scouting report on so my my feelings on Matas I want I want to see if you agree or disagree with any of it I feel like Matas has a lot of upside I think a lot of his weaknesses stem from a lot of his core weaknesses stem from his strength and that really he must get stronger but the problem I have with Matas is I feel like a lot of every I feel like almost everything that borrows down to him offensively you have to believe in his shot if you don’t believe in a shot I think it’s gonna be really tough for him at the next level I think he has a nice handle for his size not crazy handle but a nice handle for his size he flashes every now and then ability to make some passes in a live uh in in transition off of a live dribble which is intriguing um and I know people makes I I there’s a lot of people who have made a noise about his 40in vert or close to 40in vert at the combine but for I didn’t really see it pop like that in the film I watched it it never really popped um he’s just a really like I get the Intrigue with them and I understand the upside there if you believe the shots there if you think it’s closer to what it was in high school than it was in the g-league season but I think Matas is an incredibly risky Prospect um I’ll leave off with this I again I want to get your thoughts to close it up on Matas um I I I wrapped up the last episode I talked about him saying I don’t know if I’ve watched the only watched prospects for a year so take that with a grain of salt but but like over the past year I can’t remember a prospect I watched that relied or took as many tough shots as he did I feel like almost every shot I watched from him it was a tough shot and he was a good he’s a fine tough shot maker but he also takes a lot of tough shots I think a lot of that has to do with his strength but I’m just a little I see the upside I understand it if he’s a pick but I also am a little bit worried about him as well as a prospect so just what where are you at at with Matas am I off anywhere in your opinion or where do you stand with him I think that’s mostly Fair um I honestly agree that I like Maas a lot I have him like top seven on my board and have for a while but I also don’t know if he’d be a great fit for the Pistons because I guess like you said he does need a lot of work and I think I I agree that the shot needs to be better and that’s it’s a lot is going to hinge on that right he was not a great shooter this year better in high school I think there’s some Intrigue that he was a really great mid range pull-up shooter this year on small volume he loves that little like Dirk fade or like spin into tough jumper with his touch I think modus more than maybe any player in this draft is going to be riing on getting really strong to be really good where he has a really intriguing driving style where he’s super fluid and he gets really low and he can get his shoulder below others Defenders and like get into position to where if he had strength he would be moving guys but just doesn’t because he doesn’t have strength at this point but at like legit 610 with his kind of like fluidity and coordination and length I think there is some really intriguing creation upside in my general draw philosophy is like to bet on that upside and to look for those like unique talents those unique body types that maybe like we haven’t really seen before aren’t sure what they can become and I think modest is certainly like that um I think is definitely true that he takes a lot of contested shots but I think that’s true for basically all of the ignite guys and I think that setting brought pretty much everyone down um which you know isn’t to excuse Modis or Ron Holland or Tyler Smith or anyone there but I think it’s important context and I also think modest is a really intri intriguing defensive prospect too because of his shot blocking he is again we’ll need to add strength to play on the interior but he is an awesome rim protector with excellent timing and I think he’s a pretty good vertical athlete like 40in vertical like whatever but the fact that he was able to be as good of a rim protector as he is with a tiny wings span is impressive with his timing and his reflexes and his mobility and I do think that he is a pretty solid vertical athlete nothing crazy or anything but I think he’s good enough so again I think a lot this is how most most teenagers right have to develop a certain level of strength but for modest I think it’s so tough to his ceiling that it’s like if your team is convinced that your strength conditioning can get this guy jacked and take him and he’s going to be a star but if not then he’s probably not going to be very good um and I feel like for Detroit it’s prob they’re probably not in a position to be gambling on a bet like that but I would understand it if they did it because I think the upside is clear but also who knows like if they’re if langon and then they were going to want to make trades or move around some of their prospects or who knows what’s going to happen but like as current constructed I think it’s probably difficult to make that work right I I agree and one and before we wrap it up I do want to say that one of the things you mentioned I did mention in the last podcast as well when we talked about talked about him is that he is not someone who relies on a lot of speed to create he’s going to rely on strength except he doesn’t have strength right now like you said so if he puts strength on he’s gonna be one of those guys that creates separation and creates easy shots for himself by strength creation um so again if you if the Pistons believe they can get him to put on like 20 pounds of muscle eventually hey he could be something but we’ll see what happens um when we come back let’s talk about Reed Shepard to start off because you brought up Reed Shepard I know you tweeted me and asked me about I haven’t looked into him yet but I’ve had a few fans ask about him so when we come back we’ll talk about Reed Shepard but um like I said stay tuned for all that summertime means baseball the NBA finals and more I got the Boston Celtics winning in a sweep I don’t care if porus is out I still think they’re going to win but anyways you can bet all on FanDuel right now new customs $200 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 200 bucks you can use to bet on everything from the finals MVP which I think is going to be a very heat of discussion it’s a little bit more up in the air than maybe we thought beforehand or to who’s going to hit one out of the park visit fanduel.com laon and add a big win to your summer bucket list I’ve told you guys this many times a few years ago when FanDuel became legal in Michigan I didn’t know what to do I didn’t know what any or not FanDuel but betting became legal in Michigan I didn’t know what what to do where to go I tried out FanDuel I haven’t turned back since FanDuel was extremely self-explanatory a lot of fun and easy to use so again visit fanduel.com lockon and add a big win to your summer bucket list that’s FanDuel America’s number one sports book so I want to thank you guys again for making lockon Pistons your first list of every single day we’re free and available on all your podcast platforms if you haven’t already head to the YouTube channel at lockon Pistons hit that subscribe button or leave us a Fest star review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to us on that’s another great way to support the podcast all right so let’s go ahead and start with Reed Shepard so I’m looking at tathan I don’t know you know what other I mean I know there’s other mock drafts but that’s the quickest one I can pull up real quick yeah so I got tathan up and it’s they have re sheer going three to the Houston Rockets um he’s a 63 guard according to tangon six I haven’t looked into him yet he’s gonna be 20 years old it seems like a 19 right about 20 years old in draft Knight um what’s the whole what’s Reed Shepard as a player what is he as a prospect and why why should he be intriguing for the Detroit Pistons I know as soon as Pistons fans here oh another guard why would they take another guard why do you think that doesn’t matter with this guy yeah so I was working on a on like a mock draft for my YouTube channel and was really struggling with who to give them go ahead and plug your YouTube channel if anyone wants to check it out for sure yeah it’s just my full name Ben Fifer um we’re gonna be live on YouTube during the draft so if yall interested in that that would be that’s going to be a super fun time but point being I was making I know I’m working on a mock draft for my YouTube channel and I’m thinking the more I think about it the more if he’s available you know he very well might not be there if Houston or someone likes or San Antonio likes him ahead of them but if if Shepard Falls I think though he is a guard he is probably the best option in terms of fit and and cealing with this draft is the thing is there is no perfect fit there is no like young upside three and D Wing that just doesn’t exist either you’re gonna take a someone who is younger and a better Prospect but maybe doesn’t fit or you’re going to take a worse Prospect who fits and I generally don’t endorse reaching that much for a worse Prospect but I think Shepard despite being a guard fits really well Shepard’s main issues to me are that I just don’t see very much upside with him given some of his size and athletic concerns he’s not a dynamic Creator and he struggles a little he struggles defensively because of that size and some of his movement concern but what Reed is really amazing at is playing off the ball playing a complimentary role he’s an awesome shooter in transition off the ball can pull up when Shooters when defenses go under such a smart connecting passer like transitions hit ahads secondary pick and rolls passing the Cutters and I think he ideally is like a perfect third guard with Kade Cunningham and or assar and or Ivy and I think he works regardless of what the Pistons choose to do and I think that’s going to be an important thing is them to get a player who’s malleable who who’s flexible who they don’t need to like tailor their stuff for because they already have so many players where they’re you know guy like AAR or Duran or Ivy who I think are really great and have big upsides but you kind of have to tailor them in a certain way to succeed whereas I think Reed could be awesome playing as a you know a two guard next to Cade as Cade’s you know size and defense will make up for that I think he’ll he’d be awesome playing next to Ivy and assar complement their athleticism with great spacing and and decision- making I think he’d be a great you know pick and roll partner with pick and roll partner with Duran and also just having a spacer their help so I think if we’re trying to think of like you know you have our your four main prospects wh which Prospect is going to slot in to that you know quote unquote starting five I think is the wrong approach because that player doesn’t really exist where the Pistons are picking but I think Shepard while you know still being young having having upside is a really safe bet to be an offensive contributor regardless of what the Piston shoots to do whether they want to make a trade whether they don’t want to make a trade whether they want to shake things up he’s going to be constant and he’s going to be effective and I think that is should be one of the highest priorities for Detroit even if like fit isn’t perfect and fit is so you know fit changes so fast like one year you know a position of need might not be because of retirements or injuries or trades or development or you know and inverse so that’s why I like Reed for the Pistons at five so I think one of the things you mentioned that made so so again I haven’t looked in the read at all one of the things that you said that instantly perked my you know perked my ears and had me interested is your point about the Pistons having so many players that they have to tailor so many things to and it makes it incredibly hard to build a roster it makes it really hard to build a functional lineup not even a roster a functional lineup with all them on the floor I mean the Pistons lost 28 in a row 27 like it like we w we watched it happen um and that’s been one of the things I’ve mentioned on the podcast is that they have they have to construct this roster in a way that best fits their one constant which is cake and it seems like from what I understand and what from what we’ve read again for all my listeners this is not kill’s opinion even though my opinion agrees with this this is just based off what I’ve heard and what it seems like through the re from the writings we’ve gotten or the Articles we’ve gotten is that it seems like they’re two constants as of right now is Kad and assar it seems like assar is valued really highly now maybe Tran comes in he’s completely flipped it all up so that’s why we’ll just stick with the one constant is Kate and the ability to have somebody that can fit if trasan decides to you know we’re gonna move Ivy we’re gonna move durren okay well Reed can fit that oh we’re gonna keep Ivy we’re gonna keep assar we’re gonna keep durren okay he can fit that we’re gonna move one of them okay you can fit having a guy that you draft that doesn’t need the entire roster to flip just to be able to be used because look I love assar I had assar going five before and I was laughed at on the lock down mock draft I still hold that against you guys I’m not going to lie to you but I was laughed about it and they end up drafting him but I’m not going to say you to lie you have to tailor stuff to him to get the best out of him you can’t just throw him on the floor you know expect him to do stuff and we saw that last year offensively they can’t I don’t know if they can afford to have another guy like that that that you have to have and the same thing with Ivy the same thing with Duren I don’t know if you can afford to do that again with the prospect so that is what made it made your your argument for Reed pretty interesting to me and I’m looking forward to getting into him now yeah and I think the fact that the Pistons like you know obviously Kade has improved but I think Kade was G to be good regardless of where he went seems like their track record of Player Development recently isn’t Stellar right like I think it’s fair to admit that that a guy like Reed who I think might have a more limited ceiling it’s like you put Reed on an NBA floor today tomorrow and he’s gonna be a useful offensive player I think he has the ceiling and there’s room to grow in weaknesses but he’s someone who doesn’t need the ball you don’t have to run plays for him you don’t have to like think too hard he’s he’s going to be good he’s going to make smart decisions he’s going to make basic plays he’s going to hit threes he’s gonna get Steals and blocks and stuff and I think that for a team in transition like the Pistons with a lot of talent that is as uncertain having that like certainty and stability while also you know not reaching for like an old type Prospect who is probably very limited while still maintaining a guy like Reed who’s young and could maybe exceed a ceiling that I think he has is just a good marriage of all of everything that they kind of need pretty much all right so before we wrap this segment up I want to hear about one more Prospect from you it doesn’t seem like now I could be wrong but reading the te Le I don’t think you’re going to be highing this player um for the Pistons but I know Pistons fans a lot of them love him he led the poll when I asked on Twitter and on YouTube who they wanted to hear about next he led both polls um he kind of matches what you’re talking about in an older prospect that you know maybe has a limited ceiling but it’s dton connect what do you think about him obviously I again like I said I’ve only dove into Matas yet so far but I do understand so far that Dalton is a sniper if appears and and he’s a wing that’s all I know about him so far I haven’t done any digging into I say I would say that’s accurate yeah so that’s all I that’s all I know about him so far but like I said read the te I don’t know how how much of a fan you’d be of them picking him at five so do you think the Pistons should be considering him at five what type of player is he just give a brief explanation on him before we move on to the next segment will we dive into any more SE uh prospects yeah I I’m not going to bury the lead I I’m not a huge connect guy and I don’t think picking him at five would be wise but I understand the logic for sure and I think it’s similar to what we were talking about with Reed that connect is gonna shoot the he’s gonna shoot the ball he’s gonna come in we know what he’s we know what we’re getting from him but differences between Reed and connect right connect is going to be 23 three or 24 in his first in his first season and a lot of older rookies are risky because we don’t exactly know how much more they can realistically improve and I think again for a team like the Pistons it’s not like they’re you know a connect away from contending or like a you know they’re a wing shooter away from being a a good playoff team right no they’re still you know unless all their guys make big leaps and something big happens who knows but it seems like probably pretty far away from actually being ready to compete and The rosters going to need a lot of changes so I think the fact that this this roster is going to look a lot different when whenever the Pistons are you know whether that’s two years three years four years five years like whenever they’re next contending it’s going to look a lot different than it looks today and I think drafting for fet for fit and connect for fit is kind of just like a shortsighted way that I tend to not really agree with in My Philosophy right just because the draft is such a long-term game and while I think it’s true that connect would come in and be really effective I think it would be more smarter to to take a chance on a guy like Reed who I think could really end up being like a top 40 50 player in the league versus someone like connect who he’s a really great shooter off the ball and on the ball um he can pass a little bit he’s a solid athlete but it’s It’s A Hard Sell for me to take someone who’s like a 23 year old who had one breakout year right like he wasn’t this dominant player before he came to Tennessee he was good and I think it’s good that he improved but this is his first year of really dominant production like that and I think you can certainly make a compelling case that part of that is because he’s older and bigger and stronger and more physically and mentally developed than his competition and that’s going to go down at the NBA I see connect as like a Grayson Allen type where he’s like a really good like third offensive guard is going to be great hitting jumpers and secondary playmaking and eating off of the gravity of a guy like Cade which I think would for sure work if the Pistons were to like trade down and take connect I think that would be good that would be better but it seems like connect is viewed pretty highly in League circles but just from my personal philosophy um even at a draft this week like I said I think there there are good upside your solid upside bets Like a Shepherd or even like a you know some other guys might talk about but like I said I I get it and I’ve like in some of the mocks I’ve done for work I’ve given them connect so I think it’s certainly a possible thing um I wouldn’t love it but I would understand it like it wouldn’t be like the worst thing in the entire world but I would it wouldn’t be my first or second choice so we’re gonna move on and we’ll talk about some prospects coming back Ryan Holland I want to get to because he’s another one that a lot of P fans seem to like a lot I’ve had Donovan kingan you know I don’t know if he’s going to be there it’s a lot of mixed reporting I we’ll talk about him a little bit but I do want to wrap up by saying what you were talking about it’s it’s tough the Pistons I think are in a very very tough position because you do want a draft for someone who will fit with Cade you do want to draft for someone who M again like I just got done saying you don’t have to tailor your whole team towards but then also like you said you’re also very far away right now at at least right now so drafting for short-term gain versus long-term gain seems like a little like bleep backwards like it like it doesn’t seem it it’s gonna be tough it’s gonna be interesting to see and they may not even keep the pick at five so it’s like who knows right like who knows what’s gonna happen at this point really like I seriously I feel like the Pistons are one of the teams that everyone’s looking at and it’s like what are they gonna do in this like are they even stay in this first round are they going to trade this pick for Brandon Ingram are they gonna go after like one of these like who what’s gonna happen so I don’t think anyone really has a good grasp or anything right now so it’s all over the place so I get it um but when we come back like I said we’ll touch on Ron Holland doin kingan and maybe a few more if we can fit it in but stay tuned for all that when we come back this episode is sponsored by better hope give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com loock MBA and get on your way to being your best self we all carry around different stressors whether they be big or small or maybe a bunch of small things that you’re deciding to hold in instead of Ling it out when we keep them all baled up it can really start to affect all of us negatively trust me I’ve been there therapy is a safe therapy is a safe space my goodness to get things off your chest and to figure out how to work things through whatever is waiting you down if you’re starting thinking of starting therapy give better help a try it’s entirely online designed to be convenient flexible and suited to your schedule you just fill out a brief questioner to get matched with a licensed therapist and you can switch therapist at any time for no additional charge if you’re not vibing with the therapist you get you can switch just like that with better help get it off your chest with better help visit betterhelp.com loock NBA today today to get 10% off your first month that’s better help hp.com lmba to get 10% off your first month with better help so I want to thank you guys again for make lock on Pistons your first listen of every single day we’re free to avable all your podcast platform if you haven’t already hit that subscribe button to the YouTube channel or leave us a five star review whatever podcast platform you’re listening to us on that’s another great way to support the podcast so uh let’s go ahead and get into this next prospect that I I I I this is a prospect I’m not sure it’s going to be there at five I’ve seen a bunch of different reporting on it um and that’s Donovan kingan um if the Pistons were to be interested in him or or were to draft him I think that would be quite uh I think a lot of things may fall from that like what’s going on with Duren then what’s happening there um but we don’t have to get into all that let’s just talk about cling as a prospect what do you think of Donan kingan and do you think he would make sense in Detroit yeah so I think like you said drafting kinging would probably be an indication that they’re just out on Duren and planning on moving him whether or not I I think that would probably be a little bit shortsighted but regardless I don’t think you draft a nons spacing true five if you have confidence in in dur and that’s what kingan is to me like he’s a very like traditional drop big I think he’s a pretty good Prospect I think the the the noise about him getting top two or three buzz is a little Rich for me just because I don’t think the ceiling is really there for him but clean is an excellent Defender he was one of the best Rim protectors in college basketball he’s a fantastic shot blocker with his height and length and and timing and reactions and he’s gotten better as a mover as well he’s more comfortable this year like stepping out into the perimeter and getting in you know in the faces of smaller players and and bothering them even though he’s never going to be like a great perimeter Defender ground coverage guy he’s gonna do what he does well he’s going to be a great drop big he’s gonna protect the paint is going to be sound and solid and I think of you know sound sound and solid is how is how I described on both ends offensively I have more worries where I think he’s a good screener he’s a solid passer he can make like structured read needs within an offense right just like making passes to Cutters or kicks out from the post to Shooters simple stuff he’s got solid touch but nothing really much beyond that outside of just like finishing screening some passing rebounding so I think he in theory would be a nice fit with Kade if they just want to get rid of dur if they don’t like Duran and they want to try again at the center um Kade would be an incredibly good pick and roll partner with him he’s obviously an amazing l amazing lob passer amazing interior passer in general and I think kingan’s like solid decision making would definitely help the Pistons I think he’d probably be able to be at least solid whereas a guy like Duren even like coming out was a pretty much like an upside pick like the youngest player in the draft we knew it would take time for him to be confident whereas clean is probably one of the safer guys in this draft in terms of at at least in terms of defense that he’s going to come in and be and be useful so I think it would be a a like Duran Duran aside I think it would be a solid pick if you fell um nothing really special like I said this that’s kind of how this draft is like it’ll be all right like there’s nothing special about it you know get crazy excited about but I think that would indicate like we we just want to take good talent and I think that’s generally good process even though I probably don’t view clinging as highly as people like in the league in the mainstream do yeah and I know I we’ve talked about a lot in the podcast one of the main things I talked about this on the last episode with James Edwards I third the athletic uh beat rider for the Detroit Pistons it seems like that the Pistons there was a lot of things wrong with the Pistons obviously this past year a lot of things but it seems like yeah it seems like the main thing that that’s really been a thorn in their side that like has really offut them the most and again this is just my read on everything it seems their defense from the five position really upset them or really was the was like one of the main things that really off put them the fact that they had no defense in that position how bad durren was this year I think there’s a legit argument some could make that he was worse this year than his rookie year like he was really bad this year defensively I think that has really um again I don’t know any other word outside of you know off offut some of the front office guys and again traon just got in here I know we have hav’t gotten a press conference yet I know that’s we’ll talk about that in the next episode but who maybe he feels completely different than everyone else and it doesn’t matter but that just seems to be the read on the situation they’ve been linked to Nicholas Claxton they’ve been linked to hardenstein they’ve been linked now to kingan it seems like they really want to get a defensive five in the building so if they think that kingan is that guy I could see it but like I said I think that then has a trickle down effect of something either has already happened with durren in the next 16 days or something’s going to happen with durren in in the days afterwards so we’ll see what happens with that um absolutely so next next Prospect I want to talk about real quick before we wrap up and look guys like I said there’s like 20 prospects like like I’m looking at this tangon and there’s a guy here down at 21 you guys wanted me to ask about and just is impos possible for me to get through everybody it’s just too many prospects but the next one that you guys voted the most was Ron Holland the G League um what are your thoughts on Ron Holland from what I understand this Bas level it’s kind of like what you said at the very beginning of the podcast you’re either gonna get somebody who can’t shoot that’s questionable shooting but is good everywhere else or you’re gonna get somebody who can shoot but can’t get they can’t really do anything like it’s you’re not you’re really gonna find someone who immediately is gonna be able to do both so from what I understand Ry Holland doesn’t have that great of a shot that’s really all I know about him so far without getting in so what what are your thoughts on Holland yeah that’s I’d say that’s true is that Holland is again would be a pick that maybe doesn’t fit perfectly with the the talent that the Pistons have a crewed but would be a signal that’s like we’re taking the best talent on the board come H high water and we’ll figure it out later um I think Holland is fantastic I think he’s definitely one of the players I think is the biggest gap between like quote unquote like draft twiter like Scouts on the internet versus the league where you see reports of him like falling out of the lottery where it’s like I think he’s a top two guy in this class as do a ton of people on like you know draft Twitter and stuff there are a ton of people who have him number one and I think that’s honestly totally reasonable he maybe isn’t safe as others like you said be because of that jumper it wasn’t like the worst jumper you ever seen and he’s like willing and you know was willing to take off dribble stuff I don’t think the jumper is so broken to the point where it’s like not worse than you know a guy like Jimmy Butler or Jaylen Brown or Pascal sakam or Kawai on from three at the same stage but Ron is to me the best athlete in the class he is an unbelievable explosive athlete with the burst to get downhill whenever he wants finishing Above the Rim with crazy dunks in the half court getting up for blocks can flip his hips and and hang in midair on on the defensive end and I think his upside is extremely high he is an elite driver Elite slashing Creator his handle got a lot better this year he’s so Elite dislodging guys with his strength and his explosion and getting all the way to the basket I think he’s an underrated passer too takes a lot of questionable shots but I think so much of that is his age and the fact that he is like the primary initiator on a really terrible basketball team that does not really influence good habits um this is this is Ron’s first year in this role really in high school aou stuff in feba he was like an energy big type so this this is his first year really as like a full-time perimeter Creator and I think he’s made great strides as a Handler a decision maker a shooter and and then defensively I think he has like Bonafide all defense type upside as like an like an Isaac aoro type Wing who’s just going to be a shut down defender on the ball and is going to wreck havoc off the ball with his shot blocking and his playmaking needs some seasoning in terms of you know technique and fouling and being overly aggressive at times but I think that’s extremely common for 18-year-old prospects I think Ron at five would be just good value based on my evaluation of the prospects and even though I think similar to modest it’s not a super clean fit with the talent you have right like if the Pistons are set on this group and they want to draft someone or acquire someone who is going to maximize the group they have then Holland’s probably not the direction that they should go but if well I can make it E let me make it easier for you because let’s go ahead and operate in this sense then and then we’ll wrap up the podcast just Kade I think that’s all that matters right just Kade absolutely yeah so do you think he so do you think he can play those two guys can fit together and play well together 100 per. I think Kade is like like having a playmaker like Kade makes it so good for like other players because a guy like Kade can get Ron into easier Spots I’m mean I am actually current today I’m working on tracking all of his halfcourt Rim attempts um and the thing you notice about a guy like Ron is basically everything is tough self-created shots there’s no one helping making his life easier there’s no one doing it for him everything’s on his plate and I think Cade would do a lot to take that off of his plate get him easier shots attacking Closeouts and stuff and I think Ron can also attack attack off of the dribble draw in the defense and hopefully get Cade some easier shots too so yes I think those two would be in a per a great fit together so from that perspective then yeah all in on that and the only reason why for everyone listening because I already know there’s a few Ivy stands that are going to flip out that I said that the only reason why I’m saying that is because it’s a very legit possibility in this in this off season that K it’s possible that K’s the only guy that sticks around like like it’s possible they move on from IV it’s possible they move on from Duren I don’t think they’re gonna move on from assar but maybe Tran isn’t a fan of assar the only guy that’s locked down long term I mean we just got the report last week he’s getting that Max he’s getting the rookie Max so like he’s the only one that really matters at this point like it’s I’m sorry for like I’m sorry for everyone who’s a stand of assar Ivy dur but like right now it seems like the only guarantee you have long term is Cade right now so that’s why I asked that question because if they do move in that area of moving off of those guys I think then this pick has to fit with k then if that’s if that’s the route they go um just say it we’re at 40 minutes we gota wrap it up but I just want you to say a name if I asked you the most unorthodox or off the like a little bit wild a wild card pick that you could see for the Pistons at five that maybe isn’t high on the draft boards that maybe you know other people aren as high on but you think could really pop in the right way in the right situation long term who’s that one name that you would say oh man that’s a that’s a really interesting question um totally on on the basis of getting a guy to to pair with Cade you know we’re ignoring all of the other fits and stuff and all of the the other considerations oh man I think I’ll say Devin Carter could be interesting um another like older guard who’s like a perfect off offguard type I could see maybe you know langon as like we want an established guy and we’re just going to take the guy who we know is going to be good either that or in the opposite direction they’ll take tjon Salo who’s like a super raw 18-year-old French wings so I’ll say one of those two guys is my out of the box is type fair enough appreciate you appreciate you coming on the podcast man again this was very last second you made time for me immediately I appreciate a ton especially at this part of the the offseason with the content you know daily having to come up with something you know you helped me out a lot I appreciate it sure for sure make sure you guys follow him on Twitter B jpf obviously go follow him on And subscribe to his YouTube channel Ben Fifer um appreciate you coming on again um I appreciate all of you guys for making lockdown pist since your first list of every single day free to available on all your podcast platforms hit that subscribe on the YouTube channel leave us a five star review whatever podcast platform you’re listening to this on and until next time I’ll see you guys later stay safe out there till next time peace out

NBA Draft content creator Ben Pfeifer joins the show to discuss the strengths/weaknesses of the 2024 NBA Draft and which prospects would be the best pick(s) for the Detroit Pistons at five. Could Reed Sheppard be the best possible pick at five?

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Terms and conditions apply.

BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month.

eBay MotorsFrom brakes to exhaust kits and beyond, eBay Motors has over 122 million parts to keep your ride-or-die alive. With all the parts you need at the prices you want, it’s easy to bring home that big win. Keep your ride-or-die alive at EbayMotors.com. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers.

PrizePicksGo to https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNBA and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100!

GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.

FanDuelToday’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Make Every Moment More. Right now, NEW customers get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET.  That’s TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS- with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET!! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOPistons?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

#DetroitPistons #Pistons #NBA