5
Killian Hayes Guard, Ratiopharm Ulm
12.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.2 blocks, 46% fg, 39% 3pt, 27 mpg
After taking Sekou Doumbouya with their lottery selection last year, the Detroit Pistons have proved that they are not afraid to gamble on international prospects. Killian Hayes is a far safer pick than Doumbouya was, in fact, Hayes really has no holes in his game. Rather, teams have steered clear of international prospects in the past purely for the reason that their sample size is far smaller than those of NCAA athletes.
In only 10 EuroCup contests, Hayes was able to put up very efficient numbers playing with some of the best competition outside of the NBA. Although his stats do not jump out quite like some of the NCAA boys do, Hayes has done a great job playing a facilitator’s role for Ulm. He certainly has the potential to be a star at the NBA level, but at the very least he can be a playmaking and floor-spacing guard who plays solid defense for Detroit, something that is greatly valued in basketball today.
At 6ft 5, Hayes is big enough to play both the one and two, but like LaMelo Ball, his skillset is much better suited at the one. His stepback jumper and runner are his go-to moves that almost always result in buckets. His athleticism is also above-average, which allows him to be successful in transition and getting to the basket.
Detroit is not going to be looking at any specific positions here, as the team is in the first year of a ‘rebuild’. However, Hayes would be able to immediately slide into the starting lineup, considering that the team is so reluctant to start Derrick Rose and that Reggie Jackson was finally bought out some time ago. Hayes could be one of the best players in this class, as he truly has that star potential with such a complete game.