No. 3. Detroit Pistons: G Jalen Suggs – Gonzaga
While they have reached the playoffs just twice since 2010, the Detroit Pistons are not in a bad position as a franchise whatsoever. They have a bunch of young, high-potential players in Josh Jackson, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, as well as a breakout star in Jerami Grant.
After being a role player through the early years of his career, Grant took his opportunity to be “the guy” in Detroit and this offseason acquisition has paid off big time for the Pistons. In 48 games with the Pistons this season, Jerami Grant has averaged 22.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and has shot 42.9% from the floor, making him the star of this franchise.
The Pistons are not far off from being relevant again, which is why draft Jalen Suggs third overall would be a “homerun” move by this front-office. Suggs is arguably the most NBA-ready prospect in the 2021 NBA Draft class and at just 19-years-old, he has a chance to enter the league and immediately become one of the most polished and talented guards in the league.
The 6’4” freshman from Gonzaga is one of the most intriguing NBA prospects this year because of how versatile he is as a guard. Not only is he extremely talented, but he is a guy that has that “it” factor when it comes to being a combo-guard in the NBA and someone that can definitely fill many seats in an arena.
RELATED: 2021 NBA Mock Draft: Davion Mitchell’s big tourney bolsters stock
Not only is Jalen Suggs going to be a franchise point guard for whoever drafts him, but he is probably one of the top athletes in the 2021 NBA Draft class. Suggs is great in transition, he is great in the half-court and he is a terrific pick-and-roll passer that can find his open teammates off-the-drive.
His outside shooting is maybe one of the only things you can point to and see he needs to improve upon, but this season at Gonzaga, Suggs shot 33.7% from deep and he is only going to get better.
Jalen Suggs has arguably the most explosive first-step in the 2021 NBA Draft class and there is really no slowing him down once he gets going. He is a lot like Ja Morant when pushing the ball in transition in the sense that both guards tend to use their quickness and athleticism to push the ball ahead of their opponents and get to the rim with ease.
Overall though, Jalen Suggs is most comparable to being hybrid between Deron Williams and Jason Kidd. I hate comparing college prospects to Hall-of-Famers and All-Star level players, but Suggs has the intangibles and the skill set to match up perfectly with a blend of a Deron Williams/Jason Kidd type of player in the NBA.
Cade Cunningham is the best guard and player in this draft class, but Jalen Suggs is the best floor general and pure point guard in this draft class. While they just drafted Killian Hayes 7th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, passing up on the chance to draft Suggs would be a huge mistake by the Pistons.
Having two young, dynamic point guards in the backcourt could work wonders for Detroit and with a bunch of solid pieces around them, the Detroit Pistons may finally be able to be competitive all season long next year.
