Fans of the Detroit Pistons will be watching tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery with nervous anticipation, as it could be the most important one in team history.
This might be recency bias talking, but I have been a Pistons’ fan longer than most of you have been alive and I can’t remember an NBA Draft Lottery that was so important.
The Pistons will be choosing somewhere in the top-6, so already this will be their highest pick since 2003, the year they chose Darko Milicic.
But the difference between one and six will be huge this season, as it could be the difference between getting a franchise-altering talent and getting a pretty good player who will continue to help the rebuild.
There are a combination of factors that make this the most important lottery in team history, or at least recent team history.
Detroit Pistons NBA Draft Lottery: The role players are assembled, the Pistons just need a star
A lot of teams in the NBA could say this, but for the Detroit Pistons is it true: the Pistons are just a star away from being good.
The Pistons have assembled some very good young talent in Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes to go along with veteran Jerami Grant, who just had a huge breakout season.
If you look at where Atlanta was before they drafted Trae Young, I would argue that the Pistons have a much better cast of quality role players to put around a star.
If the Pistons can nail this draft, starting with getting lucky in the NBA Draft Lottery, they could make a similar leap and be in contention sooner rather than later.
I can’t remember a Pistons’ team that was more ready to win (other than 2003, but they were already very good), as they have the role players, coach and front office in place and just need their star.