Possible Piston targets Kennard, Mitchell 14-15 on Ford’s Big Board
Two players considered good fits for the Pistons in the NBA draft – shooting guards Luke Kennard of Duke and Donovan Mitchell of Louisville – are ranked Nos. 14 and 15 in the latest Big Board by ESPN’s Chad Ford, published Tuesday.
This is Ford’s seventh pre-draft Big Board and the 6-6 Kennard has improved one spot from version 6.0 while the 6-3 Mitchell is up from No. 22.
The Pistons will pick 12th in the first round on June 22.
Ford on Kennard: “Kennard didn't do the athletic testing at the combine, disappointing some NBA GMs. But he knows teams aren't drafting him because he's an elite athlete. They want shooting, high basketball IQ and toughness. Kennard has several teams in the late lottery looking at him. Nos. 12-17 seem to be his range right now.”
Ford on Mitchell: “Mitchell had the best combine of anyone, and he didn't play a minute of five-on-five. His elite athletic testing numbers – combined with a crazy, Dwyane Wade-esque wingspan of 6-foot-10 – have some lottery teams targeting him now. He's not the shooter that Kennard is, but he's a better athlete and defender and equally good playmaker. You'll see teams asking those two to work out against each other. Mitchell also appears to be in that Nos. 12-17 range.”
UCLA center Ike Anigbogu, who was in Auburn Hills for a pre-draft workout with the Pistons on Tuesday, is No. 19 on Ford’s 30-player Big Board, while Michigan forwards D.J. Wilson and Moritz Wagner were Nos. 29 and 30, respectively.