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The unconventional nature of the Detroit Pistons fan-generated big board for the 2020 NBA Draft continues with the selection of Aleksej Pokusevski as the No. 6 pick. The Official Detroit Bad Boys Big Board has been an interesting mix of consensus view on some of the top names in the draft with some truly outside-the-norm thinking.
First, Killian Hayes, the French point guard was the No. 2 selection instead of his typical perch in the 5-8 range of most big boards. This move is even more shocking. A player few had heard of a few months ago and is currently hovering around the bottom of the first round in the 25-35 range is a surprise pick at No. 6.
Pokusevski has a sizable contingent of fans who see an incredibly long, athletic player who stands 7-foot-2 with more than a 9-foot standing reach. Think of everything people hoped Thon Maker would be and that gets you a bit closer to Poku. The problem is, what if he turns out to be, well, what Thon Maker actually became.
Pokusevski has played limited minutes in a low-level league, has suffered injuries and is only about 200 pounds soaking wet. You’re hitching a lot on the development of strength, health, consistency and more to go along with some intriguing athletic gifts.
If the Pistons did shock the world and draft Pokusevski they would be doing exactly what they did last year — taking the youngest player in the NBA Draft and banking on growth and development that would turn him into one of the impact players in his class.
The jury is still out on young Sekou Doumbouya, who was the youngest player in last year’s draft. He has shown some intriguing skills but also the inconsistency and inefficiency that plagued him as a young player in France. If you draft Poku, you’re signaling to the existing players, fans and rest of the league that you’re timeline for being competitive is years down the road. Not necessarily a bad thing — as long as it works.
Poku bested one of the consensus top picks in this year’s draft James Wiseman in the vote. Wiseman is a center who will only ever play center. Does that still make sense in the modern NBA from a top-5 pick? He has the type of body that could allow him to develop into an impact player on both ends of the floor and with enough variety in his offensive skillset to not just get locked into the paint ala Andre Drummond. However, his defensive instincts leave a lot to be desired, and there is no saying his offensive game blossoms in a way that allows him to be the kind of player you build your team, salary cap and offense around.
The next vote will be open until 8 p.m. on Tuesday. If you are reading this and you don’t see the poll, you can view the poll by clicking the link from the DBB homepage, which bypasses Google Amp and Apple News layout restrictions.
Official Detroit Bad Boys Big Board
- Anthony Edwards
- Killian Hayes
- LaMelo Ball
- Deni Avdija
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Aleksej Pokusevski
- ???
Poll
With the seventh pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons should select ...
This poll is closed
-
15%
Obi Toppin
(20 votes) -
23%
James Wiseman
(31 votes) -
11%
Onyeka Okongwu
(15 votes) -
22%
Isaac Okoro
(30 votes) -
3%
Kira Lewis Jr.
(5 votes) -
9%
Devin Vassell
(13 votes) -
0%
Aaron Nesmith
(0 votes) -
2%
Saddiq Bey
(3 votes) -
5%
Cole Anthony
(7 votes) -
1%
Tyrese Maxey
(2 votes) -
2%
Patrick Williams
(3 votes) -
0%
Trey Jones
(0 votes) -
0%
RJ Hampton
(1 vote) -
0%
Precious Achiuwa
(1 vote) -
1%
Leandro Bolmaro
(2 votes) -
0%
Isaiah Stewart
(0 votes)