Lady luck didn't smile on the Detroit Pistons during the NBA Draft lottery, but that doesn't mean they can't get a home run prospect with their number five overall pick.
The 2022 NBA Draft is shaping up to be one with some serious potential up and down the lottery. Shaedon Sharpe is one of the most intriguing prospects on the board – one the Pistons should take a long hard look at with their fifth overall pick.
Sure, they won't land one of the top three prospects in Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., or Paolo Banchero, but stars are drafted outside of the top three all the time. Sitting at number five, Detroit is in prime position to take a swing at potentially the best of the rest.
Here are three (3) reasons why Shaedeon Sharpe would be the perfect pick at No. 5 for the Detroit Pistons in the 2022 NBA Draft:
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3 reasons Shaedon Sharpe would be perfect pick for Pistons at No. 5 in 2022 NBA Draft
#1 – The ceiling for Shaedon Sharpe is sky-high
There's a reality wherein Shaedon Sharpe ends up being the best player in the 2022 draft class. No disrespect to Holmgren, Banchero, or Smith Jr., but Sharpe's ceiling is simply that high.
The first thing that catches your eye with Sharpe is his finishing ability. At a solid 6'6″ frame, his athleticism just jumps out at you when watching his games just as quickly as his feet get off the ground when finishing at the rim. He can sky for eye-popping dunks that flash his NBA-level athleticism but he can also show off his creativity with his advanced layup package when the dunk isn't there for him.
Couple that with the fact that Sharpe projects to be a plus outside shooter with the potential to be elite. Granted, his exposure to NBA scouts has been limited given that he never played a single game at Kentucky, but in his exploits in high school as well as international forays with the Canadian youth team, Sharpe has demonstrated a keen ability to get buckets from the perimeter.
He's more than just a standstill shooter, being able to generate his own shot off the dribble and create in isolation. In an NBA where dynamic scoring is at a premium, Shaedon Sharpe is a prospect worth swinging for.
If he can put it all together, he has the offensive tools and repertoire to become a 25 point-per-game scorer in this league. The Bradley Beal and Devin Booker comparisons aren't completely off base.
#2 – Sharpe's skillset is perfect with Cade Cunningham
One area wherein Shaedon Sharpe may not be ready yet in the NBA is playmaking. For all his offensive gifts, his handle still has a ways to go to reach his full potential. He also hasn't had the chance to run plenty of pick-and-roll sets which is an NBA staple. His isolation game just isn't ripe enough to be effective on day one.
But Sharpe already has the shooting stroke and finishing ability to be able to score in his first couple of seasons. He'll just need to lean on his strengths and develop other parts of his game while leaning on a more established playmaker. Enter Cade Cunningham.
After just one season, Cade Cunningham has already demonstrated astute playmaking ability at the NBA level. The fact of the matter is, the Pistons need to surround him with higher level offensive threats than Saddiq Bey and Jerami Grant.
Shaedon Sharpe can serve as the perfect complement at the wing spot with Cade handling the rock. He can easily play off the ball, having experience coming off screens, taking handoffs, and relocating without the basketball. Sharpe has a quick trigger to capitalize as a release valve option for Cunningham drive and kicks. He can also make a living off cuts and use his bounce for easy finishes at the rim.
The best part is that Shaedon Sharpe has the potential to be much more than a complementary player next to Cade Cunningham. If the two can learn to play off one another, the Pistons could have something brewing sooner rather than later.
#3 – Pistons should take a high-stakes gamble
The Pistons have Cade Cunningham. That's the only sure thing that Detroit has at the moment. You can make the case for Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart. There are still a few Killian Hayes stans out there waiving his flag. But Detroit doesn't have much beyond their sleepy-eyed superstar in the making.
The biggest need is simply top-end talent. Shaedon Sharpe is basically a lottery ticket for such a player. He is as boom-or-bust as you can get given all the physical tools and enticing offensive game.
Question marks remain given that his body of work has been mostly against high school competition. He's also got questions about his motor and his ability to impact the game when he's not scoring the basketball. Perhaps he ends up being nothing but a high-volume scorer with not much else to offer.
But in that same vein, the potential to be a star is there. It may just take some time to see it happen. Teams selecting in Detroit's range such as the Sacramento Kings or Portland Trail Blazers likely need someone who can translate much sooner.
The Pistons are playing to hopefully build a contender in 3-5 years. In a suddenly crowded Eastern Conference, postseason contention still feels like its a few years away in Detroit. They can afford to wait and gradually develop prospects that fit around Cade Cunningham. They have time to stumble and make mistakes on high-risk, high-reward prospects as well – leeway that not all teams around them can afford.
The Detroit Pistons are uniquely equipped to roll the dice on Shaedon Sharpe. The reward should their gamble pay out could be immense.
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