Steve St-Pierre
Sports Writer
In Play! Magazine
sstpierre@inplaymagazine.com
They went into the 2011 NBA Draft prepared to select a big man, believing that the top point guards would be off the board by the time they picked at No. 8. Fortunately, all but one slid down to the Pistons, who wound up selecting Kentucky's Brandon Knight.
Detroit also owned two selections in the second round, opting for Duke's Kyle Singler at No. 33 and Florida's Vernon Macklin at No. 52. Singler's a talented all-around combo-forward, while Macklin's a tough-minded power forward known for his blue-collar work ethic.
Knight should be penciled in immediately as the Pistons' starting point guard as Rodney Stuckey is set to become a restricted free agent July 1. Stuckey could be brought back to play alongside Knight in the backcourt, which also features veterans Ben Gordon, Will Bynum and Rip Hamilton, though Hamilton could be moved before next season.
Joe Dumars, Pistons President, addressed the media shortly after the selection of Knight, admitting that he had planned to take a big man but could not pass on the promising point guard. Knight had been expected to go between picks 3 and 5.
