Syracuse, N.Y. – It would have been easy for the Detroit Pistons to sign Buddy Boeheim without seeing him play at all this past season.
After all, Detroit general manager Troy Weaver is a former Syracuse University assistant coach. So too is Pistons assistant general manager Rob Murphy. John Beilein, the team’s senior advisor for player development, is the former Le Moyne College coach whose son, Patrick, coached the Syracuse Stallions this past season and is now the coach at Baldwinsville High School.
The Pistons’ brass could have signed Boeheim as a favor to Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim, Weaver and Murphy’s former boss and a long-time friend to Beilein.
Instead, the Pistons, and Murphy in particular, scouted Boeheim diligently before signing him to a two-way contract shortly after the NBA draft ended last Thursday.
SEE: Detroit Pistons sign Syracuse’s Buddy Boeheim to two-way deal
Murphy, who coached at Syracuse from 2004 to 2012, saw Syracuse in person four times this past season. He estimated watching another 20 to 22 games on television.
In May, Murphy and Weaver scouted Boeheim at the NBA’s G-League combine in Chicago. Finally, the Pistons brought Boeheim in for a pre-draft workout.
“Going into the season, we identified him as a 3-point shooter,” Murphy said. “He was someone we knew had the ability to shoot from distance, which is the NBA level. We wanted to watch him and see how he developed other parts of his game.
“I had watched him grow up and make himself into a real Division I player. Then the improvement he showed over the course of his four years at Syracuse, we believed something was there.
“When Troy spoke about him after watching him, he figured that his game still had room to grow.”
The final vote cast in favor of signing Boeheim came from Detroit coach Dwane Casey after the 6-foot-6 guard’s pre-draft workout with the team.
“After Buddy came in and worked out,” Murphy said, “coach Casey really thought that he could play at this level as well.”
Boeheim led the ACC in scoring this past season, averaging 19.2 points per game. Boeheim finished his career with 309 made 3-pointers, the second-highest total in Syracuse history.
His 3-point shooting percentage dipped from 37% as a sophomore and 38% as a junior to just 34% this past year. That didn’t faze Murphy.
“When you look at Buddy’s percentages, keep in mind we break down what type of shots he took, where the shots came from, were they contested, were they not,” Murphy said. “When you’re on the floor with professional players, we felt his percentages would go up because he’ll get a lot more open shots as opposed to the guy that everyone is honing in on and the guy at the head of the scouting report that everyone is trying to stop.
“We believe his shooting skill is NBA level. We believe he can become an elite shooter at this level.”
The Pistons weren’t alone in their assessment of Boeheim. According to a source, four teams were ready with offers of two-way deals as the draft neared its end late Thursday night.
The two-way contract Boeheim signed with Detroit means he will spend at least half the season with the Pistons and the rest with the team’s G-League affiliate. Boeheim will start the process by playing for Detroit’s entry in the NBA summer league, which runs from July 7-17 in Las Vegas.
“He’ll have an opportunity to play NBA games,” Murphy said.
Contact Mike Waters anytime: Email | Twitter
MORE ORANGE BASKETBALL
Syracuse native Jai Smith of Overtime Elite will play for Sacramento in NBA summer league
Syracuse’s Jimmy Boeheim will play for Detroit Pistons in NBA summer league
2022 ACC/Big Ten Challenge: Syracuse will play at Illinois
Syracuse forward Cole Swider signs two-way deal with Lakers
SU is losing a bunch of outside shooting, so who will 3s for Orange next year? (Mike’s Mailbox)
ORANGE BASKETBALL FANS
Ad Choices