The Detroit Pistons continued a series of selections of athletes in the 2022 NBA Draft in the second round with the selection of Italian striker Gabriele Procida from Fortitudo Bologna. Since I don’t understand much about Procida, I will assign this to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who named Procida 33rd on his big board.
He writes:
In an international field, where almost every supposed potential candidate for this draft spent the year, breaking his stock in the draft with a striking performance in third-tier leagues, Procida stands out as an exception.
We can still choose some things: the Italian league is no longer very good, he was not the best player on the team, etc. But Procida showed solid results as a 20-year-old in a true professional league, and he is a 6-6 winger with some athleticism (backed by solid combine test results) and consecutive shooting seasons 38 percent out of 3 under his belt. It’s not hard to see his path to viability in the NBA.
Procida will have to shoot the 3 better and more often to become an NBA sniper, but he is not that far away and can be a hiding place abroad for years if necessary, which makes his choice promising idea for such teams as Grizzlies, Thunder and Spurs, which are overwhelmed with additional drafts and have some in the range of 20-35.
And here are some highlights to enjoy!
The Pistons are already young players, and although they can release some of the backs of the rotation if they wish, they face a bit of a space crisis if they intend to sign with veterans to fill a list. One way to alleviate this crisis is to hire a player with the intention of keeping him abroad and returning him if he ever develops.
By all accounts, there is some faith in Procida as a legitimate prospect that can help in a few years.
I would say that in combination with Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duran, a very impressive draft night is being made.
Add Comment