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NBA Draft Lottery 2017: Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell, Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen among projected Pistons picks in latest mock drafts

By Justin Prince

Mar 19, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots against Michigan Wolverines forward Moritz Wagner (13) during the second half in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Joseph-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots against Michigan Wolverines forward Moritz Wagner (13) during the second half in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Joseph-USA TODAY Sports /
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Two days after the Detroit Pistons stayed put in the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery, the team’s mock draft landscape has changed in a variety of ways.

The general consensus? The Detroit Pistons will most likely select either a shooting guard or power forward with this year’s 12th overall pick in June.

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Both The Ringer and DraftExpress are now projecting Louisville SG Donovan Mitchell will be selected by the Pistons at the time of this writing.

Mitchell, 20, is coming into the 2017 draft as DraftExpress’s top sophomore prospect. He averaged about 15 points per game along with 4.9 rebounds this past season for the Cardinals. The New York City native also left a good impression at last week’s Draft Combine, posting the highest standing vertical leap at 36.5 inches along with a variety of other impressive physical statistics, DraftExpress noted.

AmicoHoops.net and NBADraft.net meanwhile expect the franchise to select seven-foot Arizona big man Lauri Markkanen.

The 20-year-old Finland native averaged 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his freshman season with the Wildcats. Both The Ringer and DraftExpress explained Markkanen has a very strong offensive skill set, showing he can be a good spot-up jump shooter and finisher. His defense meanwhile is currently a mixed bag.

ESPN’s Chad Ford also made changes to his mock drafts after the lottery, projecting the Pistons will choose Duke standout Luke Kennard. He had a breakout sophomore season with the Blue Devils, averaging 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Ford had previously projected that Gonzaga center Zach Collins would be selected by Detroit.

Related Story: Detroit Pistons reportedly have interest in Zach Collins

Gary Parrish of CBS Sports and SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell meanwhile project the Pistons will still take the seven-foot big man.

Collins had averaged 10 points and 5.9 rebounds in just 17.2 minutes per game this year. He also shot an impressive 47.6 percent from three-point range and 67.2 percent on his two-point shots. He helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2017 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship Game in April.

Parrish’s CBS Sports colleague, Reid Forgrave, expects Detroit to take Kennard.

Both The Crossover’s Jeremy Woo and Bleacher Report mock the Pistons to choose North Carolina forward Justin Jackson next month. The 22-year-old comes into the draft as DraftExpress’s top junior on the board after recording 18.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game with the Tar Heels this season.

Lastly, Woo’s fellow Sports Illustrated writers projected Detroit would take North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr., who they consider to be possibly “the best one-on-one scorer in this draft.” The 19-year-old averaged 18.1 points and 6.2 assists per game in his freshman season with N.C. State.

Next: The anatomy of a typical Piston first quarter

With the NBA Draft still more than a month away, a lot can still change. Only time will tell who the Pistons will select in what could be a crucial draft for the franchise.

They still have about 36 days until they have to choose what they want to do with the 12th overall pick in New York City.

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