Welcome to Detroit: Pistons Select Austin Daye With No. 15 Pick of NBA Draft

by Packey on Jun 25, 2009 9:16 PM EDT in Detroit Pistons News

Welcome to the Detroit Pistons, Austin Daye. If you don't know who Austin Daye is, he's a 6'10" 192 lb sophomore forward from Gonzaga University. Jeff Van Gundy said on the Draft coverage that Daye makes Tayshaun Prince look like the Hulk (zinger).

What does everyone think of this pick? I think the consensus from the Open Thread is that fans would have preferred us picking one of the number of guards still available (Holiday, Teague, Maynor, Lawson, etc). But Daye is our choice and we'll have to live with it.

Here is Daye's draft combine interview and some highlights from one of his games against Arizona. Watch them, get to know him a little more, and leave your thoughts in the comments section:

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He is well spoken

and he appears to be good, based on that one clip highlight, but yes, I see him playing somewhat like Tay. Maybe he’ll progress to being as good as him, but we’ll have to wait a bit I think.

by Kmann on Jun 25, 2009 9:32 PM EDT reply actions

i love this pick but my opinion is largely irrelevant. Dumars does love his build.

Maybe, just once, someone will call me "sir" without adding, "you're making a scene.

by HireMattMillen on Jun 26, 2009 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Congrats

You guys are getting a player with probably the most total upside in the draft. His skill set will really blow you away. Give him some time to bulk up and mature, and you will have a stud.

The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!

by Zach Bell on Jun 26, 2009 12:59 AM EDT reply actions

that is a ridiculous statement

Unless by upside you mean improvement he can make, because wow, if he’s gonna be an NBA player, he’s got a lot of it to make. He wasn’t even the guy with the most upside left on the board when they picked, Lawson or Holliday have a much higher ceiling than Daye.

by tricks318 on Jun 26, 2009 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions

It's not just me

Chad Ford’s Analysis: Austin Daye is a kid with a ton of upside. He’s super skilled and he can shoot the lights out, like a 6-11 Stephen Curry. But he’s really skinny and he doesn’t have a killer instinct. Ultimately he could be a 4 if he gets stronger, but for now he’ll back up Tayshaun Prince at the 3. Great upside pick for the Pistons.

Daye was commonly thought of at the player with the most upside in the draft. Much like your boy Jrue Holiday, Austin never lived up to his enormous hype in college. Many blame his lack of weight but quite honestly he was never the featured player at Gonzaga. Guys like Jeremy Pargo, Matt Bouldin, and Josh Heytvelt were/are the vets of the team and got a majority of the looks.

I don’t think you can compare the upside of a 6’11’’ player and two projected point guards but I do know the Pistons have a lot of stock in Stuckey and a volatile situation in the frontcourt with some aging player. Daye fits the bill and he has a number of great years of basketball ahead of him

The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!

by Zach Bell on Jun 26, 2009 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions