AUBURN HILLS – Let’s put a few facts on the table and see where they lead us.
The Pistons don’t have a first-round draft pick. Their pick in the second round, 42nd overall, comes at a point in the draft where history suggests they have, at best, a 50-50 shot at landing someone who’ll leave much of a footprint on the NBA.
Stanley Johnson is the only player of the 12 under contract for next season who held a spot in last season’s rotation that can be labeled a natural small forward. The free-agent class is thin in wing players, who have become a coveted species in an era that places a premium on the ability to guard multiple positions and provide some floor spacing via the threat of a 3-point shot.