Detroit Pistons: One player from each Final Four team to consider drafting

The Detroit Pistons will definitely be scouting the Final Four, as there are a number of interesting potential draft picks.

The Final Four did not go to scratch as usual, but there are still two #1 seeds remaining and a lot of good players who will eventually find their way into the NBA.

The Detroit Pistons currently have the third-worst record in the NBA, so are in prime position to get a top-five pick as long as the Lottery Gods don’t do them dirty once again.

In addition to their lottery pick, the Pistons will have three picks in the second round coming from Toronto, Charlotte and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Those picks would currently be 37, 49 and 54, though the Pistons are hoping all three teams lose some more games between now and then so their picks will be higher.

Today’s Final Four games will feature Baylor vs. Houston and Gonzaga vs. UCLA.

UCLA is the real underdog here, as they have played their way into the Final Four from the #11 seed.

Here is one player from each team that might fall into the Pistons’ draft range, starting with an injured player from underdog UCLA.

Detroit Pistons: Possible draft pick from UCLA- Chris Smith

Chris Smith entered the 2020 NBA Draft and then withdrew his name at the last minute to return for his senior season. This happened to several guys who didn’t want to end their college careers during a pandemic-shortened season with no NCAA Tournament.

Smith probably regrets his decision now, as he tore his ACL just eight games into the season and had to miss the rest of it.

Smith was projected to be a second-round pick before his injury and his road to the NBA got even tougher.

Smith is a versatile defender with good length who can shoot the 3-point shot. He has some offensive limitations but is a plus-athlete who is 6-foot-9 so can defend both forward positions.

He runs the floor well and was shooting 50 percent from deep (on a low number of attempts) in his eight games before injury.

Smith will have to prove that he is healthy but some team will probably take a flyer on him late in the second round. He does fit the profile of the long, versatile defenders that Troy Weaver seems to like, so he is an option with the Lakers’ pick.

More than likely he’ll end up being an undrafted free agent who has to work his way onto a team through Summer League and the G-League.