The top ten draft steals in Detroit Pistons history.
When the Detroit Pistons selected Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart with the 16th and 19th picks, respectively, they scored a couple of steals in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Stewart leads rookies in total blocked shots, rebounds, and field goal %, while Bey is attempting to break the rookie 3-point shooting record and has played tough, diverse defense on the perimeter.
It got me thinking about how the two current Pistons rookies might stack up among the team’s all-time draft steals.
A player must fulfill certain requirements in order to be considered a “steal” in the draft. They must, first and foremost, have been selected outside of the lottery. Second, their career must have been far better than anticipated.
In essence, the other clubs feel foolish for passing up on this player and wish they had selected him in the draft.
The history of the Detroit Pistons’ draft is everywhere.
The Pistons’ draft history is filled with highs and lows, like that of other clubs. Detroit has experienced a number of excellent draft eras as well as a few disastrous ones.
Joe Dumars was a great draft pick overall, but he was terrible at making trades and overpaying some free players.
The converse was true for Stan Van Gundy, who made several astute trades but nearly always selected the incorrect player in the draft, as demonstrated by Luke Kennard and Stanley Johnson.
No team is flawless, and the majority have more misses than hits. These ten instances show how the Detroit Pistons were correct to select underappreciated players in the draft. On this list, where do Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey stand?
Let’s examine.
Amir Johnson is the 10th draft steal for the Detroit Pistons.
Similar players that the Pistons were able to get later in the draft are the first two on this list. Despite his lack of skill, Amir Johnson was a reliable NBA player for 14 years.
Few players taken in this category ever go on to have NBA careers, so that’s a fairly good run, especially considering the Pistons selected him with the 56th overall pick in 2005.
Johnson was a raw prospect who spent more than ten years in the NBA as a reliable rotation big man. The 33-year-old is really currently playing in the G-League for the Ignite.
Theo Ratliff is the ninth draft steal for the Detroit Pistons.
Theo Ratliff had a highly successful 16-year NBA career after being selected as the 18th pick in the 1995 draft.
During his career, Ratliff led the league in blocks three times and averaged 2.4 blocks per game.
He guarded the rim better than anyone and was a great rebounder and rim-runner. Before his career ended, Ratliff played for almost every other NBA team and only spent a little more than two seasons with the Pistons.
In addition to providing important updates on the starting lineup, the Detroit Lions issued their final injury report for their Week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans. After missing practice all week due to an illness, defensive lineman Josh Paschal has been officially ruled out. Due to several injuries to their edge rushers, the Lions are having defensive difficulties, which is why Paschal is not playing. Earlier in the week, his situation was unclear, but Friday’s news made it clear that he won’t be playing on Sunday.
Despite being a full participant all week, offensive lineman Christian Mahogany has also been out due to sickness, joining Paschal.
The Lions will probably have to rely on their depth in the defensive line as a result of Paschal’s absence and Aidan Hutchinson’s recent injury, with players like Levi Onwuzurike and other reserves expected to step up. Important offensive lineman Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow, and Taylor Decker were cleared for the game after playing completely on Thursday and Friday, despite missing practice earlier in the week due to rest days. Detroit’s offensive line is strengthened by their return as they get ready for a tough game against Tennessee.
With a somewhat rearranged but strengthened roster, the Lions will try to extend their winning streak when they play the Titans on Sunday at Ford Field.
A closer look at the Lions’ Week 8 injury report is provided below:
ort:
Position of the Player, Injury, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Game Status
FP FP FP Out Christian Mahogany G Illness
Josh Paschal DL NP NP NP Out Illness
Levi Onwuzurike DL Rest NP FP FP — Frank Ragnow C Rest NP FP FP — Kevin Zeitler G Groin FP FP FP — Taylor Decker T Rest NP FP FP — Graham Glasgow G Rest NP FP FP —
