The Detroit Pistons will likely use their No. 9 pick in Thursday's NBA Draft on a big man, according to an article from The Detroit Free Press.
Writer Vince Ellis says that the Pistons have a lot of options -- but that those options are almost invariably forwards and centers. He lists North Carolina's John Henson (6-10), Illinois' Meyers Leonard (7-feet), UConn's Andre Drummond (7-feet), North Carolina's Tyler Zeller (7-feet) and Baylor's Perry Jones (6-11) as the likely targets.
From the article:
Henson is the likely pick. The Pistons like his makeup and, despite concerns about his frame, he was able to gain nearly 40 pounds during his three seasons at North Carolina, so he figures to put the work in. He projects to be a plus defender, and with shot-blocking at a premium with the way the game is called now, Henson figures to be a contributor.
Leonard could help the Pistons with his presence, allowing them to move Monroe to power forward. But he was unable to dominate the Big Ten, so teams are worried about his bust potential.
The Pistons could take Drummond -- if he gets past the Warriors at No. 7. The 6-foot-11 center was projected to battle Anthony Davis for top-pick honors before an uneven freshman season at UConn.
DraftExpress.com predicts that the Pistons will take Drummond, who averaged 10.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in his one season at UConn.
DraftExpress has Henson going No. 11 and Zeller No. 12, so they could well be available when Detroit picks.
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