Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
If the Detroit Pistons have their hearts set on a guard and Trey Burke is selected before the Pistons make their pick at next week’s NBA draft, who would be next?
Detroit may be looking seriously at Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the 6-foot-6 sophomore shooting guard from Georgia whose stock has increased in recent days.
The Pistons anticipate losing a guard or two to free agency and would probably prefer taking a guard at the No. 8 spot for their first pick.
What the Pistons and others like about Caldwell-Pope is that he’s not a shy guy when it comes to taking shot. That’s what Detroit needs, more so than someone who’s going to make a majority of their attempts, although that’s not a bad idea.
But would the Pistons rather take a timid guard who is 5-of-8 for the night rather than someone who is 7-of-18?
Caldwell-Pope has the chance to be the deadliest outside shooter the Pistons have had since Chauncey Billups left the team. He passes well and plays good defense. He could even make an impact as a rookie
He didn’t have a good freshman season at Georgia, but Caldwell-Pope came on strong as a sophomore, averaging 33.9 minutes, 18.5 points. 7.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He seems to have potential and the chance to be a force in the NBA. But should a team at No. 8 pick Caldwell-Pope? If Burke is not available and if the Pistons like what they’ve seen in their own reports on Caldwell-Pope, they might as well call his name.
