The Safe Pick: Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa St.
As I mentioned earlier, alongside Hayes there isn’t another prospect more connected in mock drafts to Detroit than Haliburton. After having his sophomore season cut short from a fractured left wrist, Haliburton declared for the 2020 draft and seems to be atop many draft boards.
Most scouts and analysts are high on him, to the point he’s not out of the question for the Warriors with the second pick. Haliburton would provide a lot of the things that Hayes would bring as well to the Pistons offense, he’s a fantastic playmaker and has great size for the lead guard position.
There are some concerns with Haliburton’s shooting and there’s no denying, his form is funky as all hell. But he shot 42.6 percent from beyond the arc during his two seasons with the Cyclones. So even though the form is mechanically very flawed, the numbers suggest Haliburton should be an effective shooter at the next level. Plus, he’s even shown some ability to shoot off the dribble, with an improved form which should give teams some relief with his outlook as a shooter.
I think where Haliburton can really help Detroit though, even more so than Hayes is with his versatility as a defender. People have concerns with his thin frame, but I think Haliburton has the work ethic to improve his body and the length with a six-foot-eight wingspan to make up for it. He should have the capability to defend three positions, he defends well on or off the ball and has a knack for anticipating passes to force steals.
For a team that was 18th in opponent turnover percentage (14.2%), 22nd in opponent effective field goal percentage, 27th in points off of turnovers (1050), 24th in steals (490), and 22nd in defensive rating (112.3), Haliburton would be a much needed defensive weapon for Casey to deploy. He’s not the flashiest prospect and I’m not sure he’ll ever be an All-Star, but Haliburton will be the ultimate team guy at the next level and I find it hard to see him not being a productive player if chosen by Detroit.
