NBA Draft 2011: 10 Players Who Could Fall to Detroit Pistons at 8

The Detroit Pistons and their fans are in an odd position these days.

Not only are they done with their season while other teams are playing, but the teams remaining in the east each have story lines that intersect with the Pistons.

The Chicago Bulls were one of this team's biggest rivals for over a decade during the Michael Jordan/Isiah Thomas days. Since then, each team alternates between boom and bust, with the other never on the same page. The 80s were all Detroit, the 90s went to Chicago, the 2000s were a Pistons decade and now the Bulls are on top again.

The Miami Heat, while only a rival to Detroit for a handful of years in the middle of the last decade, still boasts Pistons' killer Dwyane Wade. Additionally, they have the other guy that Pistons fans love to hate, LeBron James. Both players occupy a place in the pits of the stomachs of Pistons nation.

Therefore, Detroit fans are forced to either remove themselves from basketball altogether or root for the Western Conference.

Either way, it is not an enviable position.

One of the ways that Detroit is primed to come back is coming up next month in the NBA Draft.

We now know where we will be drafting, and while this is a fairly weak draft, there still should be a talented player or two available when Detroit drafts at No. 8.

Here are 10 players that could find themselves available when Detroit finds itself on the clock.

Bismack Biyombo

Easily the flavor of the month, Biyombo is an incredible athlete from the Congo that has been playing this year on a team in the ACB, an international team.

The reason you have been hearing Biyombo's name recently is that he tore up the competition at the Nike Hoops Summit in my adopted city of Portland.

He thrills scouts with his wingspan (7'7"), athleticism and defensive prowess. He also is only 18 (although there are whispers that he might be older), and has a body ready for the WWE.

People are starting to compare him to Ben Wallace, and while defensively this should make Pistons fans swoon, his offense is just as inept.

Best case scenario, Biyombo comes in and develops into the perfect pairing with Greg Monroe, chasing down loose balls and playing like a more athletic Serge Ibaka. Worse case scenario, the Pistons blow a lottery pick again on a guy that could turn into Hasheem Thabeet.

Overall, this is your classic high-risk, high-reward player, and Detroit may not want that kind of risk.

Brandon Knight

Knight made a name for himself this year as the supposed heir to John Wall at Kentucky.

While he didn't quite live up to that billing, he did show a lot of potential.

He is very much a Chauncey Billups type of player. He can shoot the lights out, he has a good-sized body, and he shows decent decision making.

He lacks elite athleticism, but so too did Billups.

Most people think that Knight will develop into a good point guard, but right now he is more of a shooting guard in a point guard's body.

That being said, if he falls to Detroit, it will not think twice about pulling the trigger. But he will probably be gone before No. 8.

Enes Kanter

Arguably the best of the best Euro class of players to come along in quite some time, Kanter was supposed to play last year at Kentucky but was ineligible.

The last time scouts saw him play was at last year's Hoops Summit, and he broke Dirk Nowitzki's scoring record with 34 points in limited minutes.

Kanter is big, physical and can score and rebound in traffic. He is not an elite shot blocker, which could cause problems if he were paired with Monroe.

That being said, a front court of Kanter and Monroe would be too dangerous to pass up for Detroit.

However, I have Kanter being drafted No. 2 overall, and it will be shocking if he slips past No. 5.

Kemba Walker

To me, this is a slam dunk for Detroit.

The Pistons are looking for a leader, a point guard and a winner. Walker is all three.

He also is an underrated distributor, a very effective scorer, and he displays tremendous toughness. Add to the mix that he would be the quickest player to come to Detroit since Isiah, and you get why I am so high on him.

On the other side, he is not very big (maybe 6', 170 lbs) and is your typical shoot-first point guard. Additionally, he would essentially force Ben Gordon to the bench or off the roster since these two would struggle defensively if paired together.

However, it would allow Detroit to either match an offer on Stuckey and shift him to shooting guard, or let him walk away and look to free agency themselves to replace him. Heck, Detroit could even try to pry Arron Afflalo away from Denver.

Regardless, Walker will likely fall to either seven or eight, and if Sacramento passes, Detroit shouldn't.

Jan Vesely

Talk about a human highlight reel. If you haven't already, YouTube this kid. Seriously, I will wait.

Amazing, huh?

Vesely is an interesting prospect in that he is one of the few Euro players that plays with a mean streak. He will immediately make his presence felt, and is only going to get better.

Detroit will likely pass on bringing back Tayshaun Prince, and if so, it will need a small forward.

Vesely still needs to add some bulk and develop his outside shooting, but if the Pistons want to put butts in the seats, it will only take a few dunks for Detroiters to love this kid.

Donatas Montiejunas

Okay, before you freak out about the prospect of drafting an Eastern European seven-footer that shoots left handed, take a breath.

Montiejunas is likely not Darko.

He has a more developed game, especially from the offensive side of things, and could turn into more of a Pau Gasol-type of player.

On the other hand, it is reported that he does have a bit of an ego and plays to the level of his competition. That definitely is a bit more Darko-like.

 The Pistons are going to have to figure out whether or not they will be haunted by the Darko pick for the rest of their lives.

However, will a new owner sign off on drafting with his first pick a player that could so easily be confused by common fans with Milicic?

Kawhi Leonard

Here is a player that, though from the United States, may also be a bit of a mystery. Leonard played for San Diego State and may have only been seen by most Pistons fans during the NCAA Tournament.

The results were mixed for Leonard as he looked pretty good in the first round, but in the team's eventual loss, he looked overwhelmed.

Leonard is your classic slashing shooting guard/small forward that is athletic and can score in a number of ways.

He still has to develop his shot and his defense, but he could be a solid pro, if an unspectacular one.

Personally, I think that Detroit has bigger needs, and Leonard doesn't wow me with any particular part of his game. But he will be available and he plays a position of need for Detroit.

Jimmer Fredette

Okay, before you jump down my throat on this one, look at his stats.

This kid can flat out shoot the ball. He also can score in a number of different ways and he is an underrated distributor.

In college, they essentially ran the entire offense through him and asked him win games. In the pros, he will be a point guard and will be forced to develop other parts of his game.

Offensively, he is perhaps the most gifted player to come around since Steph Curry. But he is not an elite athlete, and he is perhaps the worst defensive player in this draft.

Overall, there is a steep drop in my mind from the elite point guards in this draft (Irving, Walker, Knight) to Fredette and there are a lot of questions surrounding his ability to play at the next level.

But like Leonard, he will play a position of need for Detroit and he will be available at eight.

Tristan Thompson

Some analysts are projecting the Pistons taking Thompson. While he does have a pretty good game and good wingspan, he is a little short for a power forward at 6'8. Paired with Greg Monroe, it would be easy to call to mind the Utah front court of Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson.

This may not sound bad, but remember Utah missed the playoffs this year.

Thompson is pretty strong and possesses good athleticism, but I think Detroit can do better at eight.

Markieff/Marcus Morris

Okay, so maybe I am cheating a bit here by putting two players on the board, but they did share the same womb at one time, right?

These two, while twins, likely will play different roles in the NBA. Markieff is your classic down low bruiser and is an inch taller than his brother. Marcus is a more polished offensive player, and could be a small forward as well as a four.

Both players would satisfy a need for Detroit, and both are workers that are extremely coachable.

They also are winners that are used to performing at the highest level.

Personally, I might lean a little towards Markieff as I prefer bruisers, but both are good players that should be available at No. 8.

Others

Tobias Harris—Very intelligent, if not amazingly athletic forward that is a tweener at the next level.

Jordan Hamilton—Prototypical small forward, he can score in a number of ways and can even grab some boards.

Darius Morris—While his stock is surging, eight is way too early for him. He is a big point guard and calls to mind Andre Miller with his play.