Detroit Pistons: Draft picks rising up the big boards after NCAA tournament

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – APRIL 03: Jalen Suggs #1 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs waves as he walks off the court after defeating the UCLA Bruins 93-90 in overtime during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

The Detroit Pistons are right on track to land a top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. As is tradition among struggling teams, fans have had one eye on the NBA and another on prospects for the upcoming draft.

With the NCAA Tournament officially in the books and Baylor now on top of the college basketball world, there looks to some movement at the top of big boards and all throughout the first round. Although the tournament isn’t always a great indicator of NBA success, it does provide a sneak peak at some of the games best prospects performing under pressure.

Related Story. Evan Mobley, not Cunningham, could be the best pick for the Pistons. light

Reacting to the NCAA tournament is a careful science. NBA teams must be careful to not overrate a player who just happens to be on our TV screen for three straight weeks, but they also need to take into account trends that happened in these games.

The Pistons currently have the third-worst record in the NBA, giving them a 52.1 percent chance at at top-four pick and a 14 percent chance at the top overall draft pick. This simplifies things in the Pistons’ front office as the consensus top-five on most big boards is mostly unchanged from three weeks ago.

However, things are beginning to shuffle around in the late lottery and beyond. If the Pistons were to (God forbid) slip in the lottery and even acquire another draft pick (a la last season), some of this information will become immediately important.

Big picture, the consensus top-five remains intact. Cade Cunningham is still looking like the top selection. Evan Mobley had a solid showing in the tournament. Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga remain coveted players despite the mystery behind their time on the G-League Ignite team.

Possibly the biggest star of the tournament, Jalen Suggs, solidified his rise to the top of the board and even has created a decent argument to be the top pick over Cunningham.

If the Pistons were to receive any pick from 2-5 in the lottery, fans would be ecstatic to see a player like Suggs in Detroit next season. We know Troy Weaver can be trusted with his eye for talented prospects.

What follows is three prospects who improved their draft stock during the NCAA tournament and how they could possibly find their way onto the Detroit Pistons.