ORLANDO – Darrun Hilliard wasn’t among the 60-plus players invited to the NBA draft combine. He was ranked the 62nd best draft prospect by DraftExpress.com and 77th by ESPN.com, compilations their creators say are based on the consensus of their conversations with NBA scouts and personnel executives.
Stan Van Gundy says the Pistons had Hilliard rated among the 25 best prospects in last week’s draft, yet they had a high degree of confidence he would be available to them at the 38th pick.
Hilliard participated in the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational in April, a showcase for players on the fringe of draft status.