Every team has an NBA Draft or two (or ten) that they would like to do again, and this applies to both the Detroit Pistons and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers blew a 26 point lead to the Atlanta Hawks last night and are now just one game away from being eliminated from the playoffs yet again.
The two prizes of “The Process” contributed little, as Joel Embiid was out with an injury and Ben Simmons managed just eight points.
Simmons was the number one overall pick in 2016 and was supposed to be the team’s second superstar. For years we had to hear about how the 76ers were the smartest team in the league because they lost on purpose for nearly a decade so that they could get two guys who have yet to make the Finals.
If the 76ers had to do the whole thing over again, they would certainly make some different choices in the draft, most notably Jahlil Okafor and Markelle Fultz, who they wasted the 3rd and 1st pick on, respectively.
But the 76ers aren’t the only team that would like to do a few of their drafts again.
Detroit Pistons: Henry Ellenson set the Pistons back
The Detroit Pistons took Henry Ellenson with the 18th pick in the NBA Draft in 2016, a pick that ended up hurting the Pistons more than you might think.
Normally you don’t expect the 18th pick to be a difference maker, but when you look at some of the guys the Pistons passed on to take him, it’s clear they could have done much better.
The Pistons were coming off a playoff appearance and might have been able to build on it had they picked the right guy in 2016, but instead they took Ellenson, an indefensible pick at the time that looks even worse now.
Here’s what these two teams would do if they could do it again.