The Reggie Jackson era is over for the Detroit Pistons. While we are at it, the Andre Drummond era is over too. The Pistons are in full rebuild mode now, and the first thing they need is a point guard.
It’s imperative for the development of the Pistons young players that they get a point guard in-house ASAP.
With the sixth pick in the draft, the Pistons should take European prospect Killian Hayes.
Currently playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany, Hayes is a six-foot-five point guard. He is almost nineteen-years-old and weighs a good 218 pounds.
Hayes has a strong all-round game that would pair well with young shooting guard Luke Kennard.
Hayes is already in his third year of professional basketball, after two earlier years in France. He has a quick first step and is fast down the court. He is aggressive in transition and uses an array of moves to finish at the basket.
He has a nice shot and can use dribble moves to pull-up. He is a leftie and though his mechanics are a little strange, it’s still effective. Hayes is a great passer, his six odd assists don’t reflect how good he is at passing and getting teammates good looks.
Because of the threat of his shot and drive game, he is able to suck in defenders before throwing great passes to diving big men or skip passes in transition to shooters. He is a close second to Ball as the second best passer in this draft class.
His six-foot-eight wingspan and good size means he can guard a few positions even if he won’t lock them down. His developing athleticism may decide how good he will be on this end, but watching tape of him he doesn’t get exposed regularly. He has good recognition for steals and loves to push from these in transition.
With the Pistons rebuilding, Hayes should be their primary building block.