With those five names in mind, I reached out to an NBA scout who specializes in college scouting. I asked him more than a handful of questions pertaining to the Pistons’ situation and this year’s crop of point-guard prospects. For each question, he was asked to pick which point guard would check a particular box. Some questions had more than one answer. In the end, it was pretty obvious who the scout felt reigned supreme among this group, but he did offer up insight that will give Pistons fans hopes in Plan B and C scenarios. Let’s just get the obvious one out of the way: Detroit needs a star for the future. Of these five point guards, who has the most star potential? NBA scout: It’s LaMelo, for sure, if it all hits right for him. – via James L. Edwards III @ The Athletic
Draft, Scouting, LaMelo Ball, Detroit Pistons
Game on the line, and you need a bucket. Who is that guy, once they get to the NBA and get acclimated, you think will thrive in that situation? NBA scout: I’d go with LaMelo. He’s ballsy. The thing with him, when he sees defenses are blitzing him, he’s going to find the open guy. He’s 6-foot-7, so he’s going to see over the top of defenses. Killian is a good passer, too, but I don’t think he’s LaMelo. Game on the line, long-term, if he becomes what I think he can be, it’s LaMelo. Again, that’s if the shot comes around like I think it will and he grows even more as a facilitator. – via James L. Edwards III @ The Athletic
NBA scout: The player Casey would fall in love with? Yeah. NBA scout: Haliburton, for sure. I think he just plays the game the right way. He can play on and off the ball, can make a shot, and he can really pass. Defensively, he’s versatile. He’s a great kid. Anything you hear out of Iowa State is glowing about him. He wasn’t even a ranked guy coming out of Wisconsin, and then he just blew up as a freshman and became a lottery pick as a sophomore. – via James L. Edwards III @ The Athletic