5. Detroit Pistons take Cam Whitmore
The Pistons are building a young and exciting roster, and are hoping to quickly improve under new head coach Monty Williams. They have Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey as their backcourt of the present and future and some exciting big men to develop, but Detroit needs a wing that can help round out their roster.
Whitmore is a 6’6 wing with an NBA-ready body. He should quickly crack the rotation and has immense upside, but must improve his passing. The 18-year-old averaged 0.7 assists and 1.6 turnovers in 27.3 minutes per game during his lone season at Villanova. He is a ball-stopper that has to prove he is willing to pass to survive in the NBA.
Teams are intrigued by his upside. Whitmore has the athletic ability to be a switchable defender and his improving jumper gives him a high ceiling as a scorer. There will be some monster dunks, and Whitmore will benefit from playing off Cunningham and Ivey in Detroit.
The Pistons are still in rebuild mode and should be searching for a high-upside prospect that can round out their young core. Cam Whitmore could be a multiple-time All-Star if things break right. He needs to become an above-league-average shooter and improve his playmaking chops, but that could happen under coach Williams in Detroit.