Detroit Pistons: Re-drafting each Pistons lottery pick since 2010
The NBA Draft Lottery is a familiar sight for Pistons fans this decade. From the 2010 draft to the 2020 draft, Detroit has been in the lottery nine out of a possible 11 times. Of those nine lottery appearances, the Detroit Pistons did not have the rights to their pick twice, 2014 and 2018.
Despite drafting in the lottery for seven years this past decade, the Pistons have missed out on some great talent. With hindsight in mind, here is a re-draft of all seven of Detroit’s lottery picks since 2010.
Detroit Pistons NBA Draft: Re-drafting the 2010’s
Detroit Pistons 2010 Draft: Pick number seven
Original pick: Greg Monroe
New pick: Paul George
After finishing their worst season in 16 years, the Detroit Pistons entered the 2010 NBA Draft Lottery with a record of 27-55. Detroit was on the downswing as their aging roster became less formidable than it was at the height of the Going to Work era. The Pistons had the seventh-best odds for the number one pick, but the team would remain at the number seven pick.
With the seventh pick, the Pistons selected Greg Monroe, a 6-11 center out of Georgetown. Monroe’s tenure in Detroit was uninspiring but not terrible. The big man averaged 14.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest as a member of the Pistons.
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The arrival of Andre Drummond shifted Monroe to the power forward position. Unfortunately for the big man, this position change coincided with the beginning of the small ball, three-point shooting era of the NBA. Monroe was quickly made obsolete as a power forward, and in the 2015 offseason, Monroe would move on from Detroit and sign with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Given the opportunity to make a different selection in this draft, the Pistons would select Paul George. The All-Star wing out of Fresno State has been one of the best scorers in the NBA for many seasons. For his career, George averages 20.2 points.
The 6-8 forward is also a superb defender. In the 2012-2013 season, George lead the NBA in defensive win shares with 6.3.
While George took a couple of seasons to develop into an All-Star caliber player, his presence on the Pistons would have automatically given the team more upside than the selection of Monroe at seventh did.
Honorable Mentions: Gordon Hayward and Eric Bledsoe