2019 NBA Draft: Full Mock Draft 3.0, Atlanta Hawks Pick #8 & #10 After Lottery
By Chris Guest
#15. Detroit Pistons — Rui Hachimura
A vaunted prospect heading in to the 2018-19 NCAA men’s basketball season, Rui Hachimura out of Gonzaga University had an immensely successful college season that saw him crowned as the West Coast Conference Player of the Year as well as a consensus All-American.
Despite that adulation, Hachimura’s 2019 NBA Draft stock fell a bit throughout the season as draftniks and pundits realized that his new teammate, Brandon Clarke, was the superior prospect – despite his advanced age.
Hachimura is a bona fide bucket, but there are questions about his shot selection (a steady diet of long two-pointers) as well as his defense, which could be described as exploratory at best.
While there’s no question that Rui looks the part of a ready-to-play NBA player, with his 6-foot-8, 240-pound frame and 7-foot-2 wingspan, his basketball IQ and instincts on both ends tend to get him in trouble at times.
Also, his jump shot is a serious question mark from outside – though he was nearly automatic as a midrange pull-up shooter. For the Pistons, Hachimura represents a high-upside swing at a sore position of need at the three.
Widely regarded as a lottery-level talent, the Pistons should jump at the chance to take Hachimura just outside of the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery.