Isaiah Evans didn't have the best showing at the NBA Combine, but he still appears pretty locked into the first round of the draft next month.
Evans, one of the top shooters in this draft class, will be coveted because of his scoring ability and length, which could turn him into the type of two-way wing that every team in the NBA covets.
Evans hoped to potentially work his way into the lottery range at the Combine, but it appears the draft probably starts for him around pick 20. The good news is that there are quite a few teams that are already really good in that range that could allow Evans to continue winning at a high level, which he grew accustomed to during his two years at Duke.
If Jeremy Woo's latest mock draft proves prophetic, Evans will be joining forces with one of the best young players in the NBA, on a team that just won more games than anyone else in the Eastern Conference in the regular season.
ESPN's Jeremy Woo projects Isaiah Evans at No. 21 to the Detroit Pistons in latest mock draft
The Pistons finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, but were knocked out of the playoffs in seven games by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East Semifinals. That series, and the previous one against the Orlando Magic, exposed some serious roster construction flaws for Detroit.
Cade Cunningham has lived up to his superstar billing, but he needs some help. It'll be a priority for the Pistons this offseason to add a scoring punch through the draft, free agency, or via trade. Evans would fit in nicely in the Motor City.
At pick 21, the Pistons could do a lot worse than Evans, who is one of the premier shooters in the class. As a sophomore at Duke, Evans shot 36.1% from three and averaged 15 points per game. A bit of a shooting slump down the stretch negatively impacted that number, but he'll get even more clean looks playing with Cunningham in Detroit if that's where he ends up.
With NBA spacing and his repeatable shot, it doesn't take much of a leap to project him as an eventual 40% three-point shooter.
In Woo's mock, Evans is joined by Cameron Boozer, who the ESPN draft expert projects at No. 3 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies. While the top of the draft is not as settled as some may have you believe, the Grizzlies have frequently been the team linked to Boozer the most since the draft lottery results.
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