The Pistons may target a crafty SEC guard in the 2026 NBA Draft
With the NBA regular season still over a month away from beginning in earnest, several media outlets are already looking forward to the next offseason as it pertains to the NBA Draft. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman released one of the latest 2026 NBA Drafts out there, and it included an intriguing potential selection for the Detroit Pistons.
At selection No. 20 overall, Wasserman has the Pistons selecting Alabama guard Labaron Philon towards the end of the first round. Now, before diving into Philon as a prospect and his merits, the 20th selection overall would see the Pistons qualifying for the playoffs for in consecutive seasons, which would be a positive development for the Detroit faithful.
In terms of Phillon as a player, this is how Bleacher Report described the prospective Pistons draft selection:
“Labaron Philon made a last-minute decision to withdraw from the 2025 draft, a surprise after his decision to skip NBA combine scrimmaging signaled confidence in his draft stock.
He'll return to Alabama to improve his shooting, a needle-mover for a point guard who already excels at getting to his spots, setting up teammates and scoring with unteachable touch inside the arc.
Even a repeat of last season could lead to interest in Philon, whose creativity, playmaking and defensive instincts could carry over.”
He'll return to Alabama to improve his shooting, a needle-mover for a point guard who already excels at getting to his spots, setting up teammates and scoring with unteachable touch inside the arc.
Even a repeat of last season could lead to interest in Philon, whose creativity, playmaking and defensive instincts could carry over.”
Last season, Philon regularly broke double digits in the scoring department with an average of 10.6 points per game, and he also grew into one of the SEC’s premier passers and distributors as well. By the time his freshman season had concluded, Philon ranked eighth in the SEC for assists with 3.8 helpers per game.
In addition to those numbers, Philon grew into his role as a trusted ball-handler during crunch time. To that effect, Philon logged a 21-point effort against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament en route to an Elite Eight appearance for the Crimson Tide.
Labaron Philon Scouting Report
Yahoo! Sports posted a scouting report on Philon during the run-up to the 2025 NBA Draft, and Philon received high marks for his on-court abilities by that outlet as well.
“Floater: Philon has insanely soft touch on his floaters, and this shot is the best example of his fluid footwork. Late in the season, he even began working in an off-hand (lefty) floater. Though he currently lacks the strength to be a high-level finisher at the rim, his ambidextrous touch bodes well for his long-term ability.
Handle: He’s such a shifty ball-handler who plays at his own pace and uses deceptive moves with hesitations, crossovers, and a nasty euro-step to decelerate and stop before taking floaters and layups.”
However, Philon, like any prospect, is not a complete package yet, and he still has a few areas of his game that could be shored up before making an impact in the pros.
“Athleticism: He lacks an explosive first step and he’s currently a below-the-rim finisher. At only 177 pounds, he also needs to gain a ton of muscle to fill out his 6-foot-4 frame.
Unproven shooting: Despite reasons for optimism for his jumper, he still needs to prove it and his mechanics certainly are a bit rigid.”
The 2026 NBA Draft is still in the distant future, but the Pistons may be well-served in evaluating Philon’s sophomore campaign at Alabama since he possesses a helpful skillset that looks to translate to the NBA level.
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