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The Detroit Pistons selected Michigan Wolverines forward Isaiah Livers in the second round with the No. 42 overall pick on Thursday night. It has been a long road to the pros for Livers, but his dream materialized into an opportunity throughout the process.
Livers played in 119 career games at Michigan and scored 987 career points in 69 starts. He flirted with heading to the NBA Draft after the 2019-20 was cut short due to COVID-19, but came back and was a critical piece on a team that would make a run all the way to the Elite Eight.
Livers’ senior season at Michigan ended with a stress fracture in his foot that required surgery, which came with a recovery timeline of several weeks. All reports seemed to indicate his health has improved recently and that it could earn him a chance to crack an NBA roster.
Scout’s take on Livers:
“If he can be a catch-and-shoot player and make perimeter shots and stretch the floor, he’s got a chance. He’s in this conversation as a player who might not be overly explosive, but he’s a smart player and he’s gotten tougher. Not that he wasn’t a tough player under Beilein, but Juwan Howard really challenged him. You kind of saw that quite a bit even just watching the game. I do like that part of him. Defensively, he can do some things. He might struggle a bit laterally, but there are some things he does. He’s got good size, he’s strong, he’s physical.”