Croatian wing Mario Hezonja would be an excellent fit for a team that desperately needs perimeter shooting.
When the Detroit Pistons get on the clock to make the eighth overall selection of the 2015 NBA Draft, the team will likely be looking for a perimeter shooter. Despite signing former Lakers sharpshooter Jodie Meeks and acquiring former Phoenix Sun and Charlotte Hornet Anthony Tolliver, the team finished the 2014-15 season 27th in field goal percentage (43.2 percent) despite being tied for sixth in field goal attempts per game (85.8). Moreover, Detroit ranked just 17th in 3-point shooting percentage (34.4 percent) even though the Pistons took the 11th-most 3-pointers per game (24.9) in the league. Overall, the team finished 17th in points per game (98.5).
Shooting is clearly an issue for Detroit, and the team needs to find someone in the draft who can put the ball in the hole, preferably from distance. Sophomore guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the eighth overall pick back in 2013, didn’t take much of a step forward in his second NBA season, and Meeks isn’t the long-term answer. Neither are Tolliver, forward Caron Butler or forward Cartier Martin, who was signed last offseason after two solid stints with the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls. Forward Luigi Datome was traded to the Boston Celtics along with power forward Jonas Jerebko, and forward Kyle Singler was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal that brought point guard Reggie Jackson to Motown, but Jackson’s shooting has always been a big question mark. Additionally, it’s unclear whether or not point guard Brandon Jennings, who ruptured his Achilles’ tendon, will play next season.
Head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy will probably roll with KCP at the shooting guard position next season, but the team must fill its hole at small forward. Therefore, the best pick the Pistons can make is Croatian wing Mario Hezonja.
Hezonja, 20, stands 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, according to DraftExpress. He averaged just 14.4 minutes per game in the ACB League this season, but he also shot 45.2 percent from the field (37.7 percent from 3-point range). The young wing also shot the ball well in the EuroLeague, going 46.2 percent overall and 38.2 percent from beyond the arc. While its uncertain if he will be a shooting guard or a small forward in the NBA, He would give Detroit a perimeter threat it desperately needs. Another reason scouts are undecided on his position is because of his lack of size. While he possesses the ideal height to be a small forward, he has a very thin frame, much like former Kansas star and 2014-15 Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins (who also is 6-foot-8-inches and 200 pounds). However, like Wiggins, his length compensates for his missing bulk, as he could become a defensive presence.
With power forward Greg Monroe headed for unrestricted free agency this summer, the team may lose one of its best scorers if it fails to make a convincing case. Although Monroe and center Andre Drummond both averaged double-doubles per game in points and rebounds, the Pistons’ lack of outside shooters made their offense very one-dimensional, as teams begun focusing all their attention on containing Monroe and Drummond in order to win. However, if Van Gundy were to both convince Monroe to re-sign and surround him with viable shooting talents (like Hezonja), Detroit could eventually have one of the best 4-5 combos in the league.
Hezonja is the Pistons’ best option at No. 8. But if the team decides to pass on him or he is unavailable when it prepares to make its selection, other options include Arizona forward Stanley Johnson, Latvian stretch-four Kristaps Porzingis and Kansas wing Kelly Oubre, Jr. Hezonja may not have accumulated a lot of playing time overseas, but the upside he possesses will be too much to look away from.
Check out his scouting video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WngADYTj-U
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