Semi-related, Wade Baldwin went to the NBA after his sophomore year, and I’ve seen Shamorie Ponds projected as a late first rounder in 2019. Couple of 3-4 star guys who had some real interest in us. Daniel Gafford is projected as a top 15 pick, people here have compared him to Oturu. Sagaba Konate’s name has shown up too, but I don’t think we ever recruited him.
https://www.nba.com/pistons/features/lofton-beats-long-odds-stick-pistons-2-way-contract
Lofton and Keenan Evans, a Texas Tech point guard signed in July, will fill the two slots available to the Pistons and every NBA team for two-way players, who can spend up to 45 days with the parent NBA team during the G League calendar. Because the Grand Rapids Drive have not opened training camp yet, the clock hasn’t started to tick on Lofton’s service time with the Pistons.
It came down to a choice of Lofton or Reggie Hearn, signed by the Pistons last season to a two-way deal and a mainstay on the USA Basketball team – coached by Jeff Van Gundy – that’s competed for a berth in the 2019 World Cup over the past year. It was clear the Pistons were weighing the merits of keeping Lofton over Hearn when Lofton played 36 preseason minutes over four games to five in one appearance for Hearn.
And it was equally clear that Lofton had done pretty much all he could to seize the opportunity afforded him, averaging 5.5 points and shooting 47 percent overall and 40 percent from the 3-point arc.
“When he came in against Brooklyn and knocked down two, three quick shots, the young man is an efficient scorer,” Casey said of the moment he was sold on Lofton. “He’s a professional scorer. And the one thing that impressed us as a coaching staff is his defense. He’s an impressive young man from an offensive standpoint – just needs the experience – and we feel like he’s going to be good for our program.”
Shooters are at a premium in today’s NBA with its ever-growing emphasis on the 3-point arc, but Lofton can not only make shots but create them – an even more coveted trait.
“That’s what’s good about him,” said Ed Stefanski, senior adviser to Pistons owner Tom Gores. “He can shoot the ball, but he’s a scorer. He can go get a bucket or get a shot off the bounce, which is real important.”
Barring injury to the players ahead of him on guaranteed contracts, Lofton figures to spend the bulk of his time in Grand Rapids where the ability to score at a high level against G League defenders and round out his game will be the next hurdle to clear.
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It will be interesting to see if he gets much time in the NBA, but he's made it further then I thought he would. I believe Royce White played a few minutes, but never scored a point in a NBA regular season game.
I hope Coffey can be the guy to represent the Gophers in the NBA.
