2011 NBA Draft: Kalin Lucas, Despite Not Appearing In Mock Drafts, Highlights Pistons' Workout

NBA Draft workouts will be the topic of the day at Ridiculous Upside as teams bring in prospects for a closer looking leading up to the NBA Draft on June 23.

Today's featured workout will be the Detroit Pistons and the six point guards -- Kalin Lucas, Malcolm Lee, Andrew Goudelock, Cory Joseph, Norris Cole and Andrew Albicy -- they have decided to audition as possible selections with one of their two second round picks (33 and 52) next month. Lucas and Lee competed in the Minnesota group workout on Monday as well, possibly leading to a bit of a rivalry after Lee's UCLA Bruins knocked Lucas's Spartans out of the NCAA Tournament this past season.

The biggest name in attendance, former Michigan State Spartan Kalin Lucas, is probably facing the most pressure to impress. The Pistons are essentially located in the 2009 Big Ten Player of the Year's backyard and, if Lucas is able to show he has what it takes to be an NBA point guard, Detroit would surely love to add a bit of local flavor.

Unfortunately, Lucas isn't currently projected to be drafted in most NBA mock drafts as he's ranked as the 79th best prospect according to ESPN's Chad Ford and 94th by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. Fortunately, he only needs one team to fall in love with him in order to be drafted and the Pistons could be just the ticket.

Lucas faces an uphill battle because he played four seasons at a major program, unlike the other players at this workout, and most NBA decision-makers have probably already made their mind up on what they think he can (and can't) do at the next level.

What can Lucas do at the next level? Win, for one, as the Spartans went 115-30 during Lucas's four years on the team while making it out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament every season. He also seems to be a good leader, fairly smart and has the ability to control the pace of the basketball; in other words, he's a floor general. Lucas is also adept at running the pick-and-roll and seems comfortable in transition.

Lucas's red flags, however, are that he's undersized (was listed at 6-foot, 180 pounds in college), he's not a great athlete and he doesn't possess much in the way of upside considering he's already 22. He's also not an elite defender, though readers probably could have figured that out judging by the red flags already listed, but is able to handle his business on that end for the most part.

It wouldn't be unheard of for a player like Lucas to go undrafted, but there should be a couple of teams out there looking for a point guard that can step in and run an offense right out of the gates rather than drafting on potential alone. 

If Lucas is able to outperform the five players he's competing against on Wednesday -- of which only Albicy is projected to go undrafted --  there's a good possibility his draft stock could be improved. If not, well, there's always Europe (or the D-League).