Re-Drafting the 2013 NBA Draft

<p><strong>Original pick: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope</strong></p> <p>From a fit perspective in Detroit, this would not be a great idea. The Pistons have Andre Drummond on board for the foreseeable future, and these two players would not partner well together. Still, Dieng is the best player available in our fictional re-do and we’ll ignore the team fit in this instance.</p> <p>If there is one concern about the former Louisville big man, it is with his age. Dieng is already 26 years old after exiting college later than most prospects, but he has been quite good in the NBA, peaking with his third season. In 2015-2016, Dieng posted a 60.1% true shooting with 10.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game (in only 27.1 minutes) and while his defense hasn’t quite been what some expected, Dieng has made strides on that end.</p> <p>Choosing Dieng over some of the other candidates remaining on the board would be an exercise in sacrificing upside for safety, but there is nothing wrong with that. Dieng has at least an additional contract’s worth of solid play as a starting-level frontcourt player, and given that his defense vastly improved in year three, that might continue again in the near future.</p> <p>Pure, rim-protecting centers are valuable in today’s NBA, and Dieng falls into that category with useful offense to boot.</p>. C/PF. Louisville. Gorgui Dieng. 8. player. 64