The Detroit Pistons have the worst record in the NBA and are playing a depleted roster full of guys no one has ever heard of, so now is a good time to talk about the future.
The Pistons are headed for another trip to the lottery and having the league’s worst record would ensure them a top-5 pick.
The 2022 NBA Draft is not as good at the top (in my opinion) as last year’s but it is a deep group so the Pistons should be able to find an impact talent.
Unlike last year, this draft will feature mostly bigs at the top, which is great because the Pistons are too small and need some size.
Here is an updated look at what the Detroit Pistons’ 2022 NBA Draft big board looks like at the top. Let’s hope that after all of this losing, the Pistons at least walk away with a top-5 pick and here are some of the guys they might take.
Detroit Pistons 2022 NBA Draft big board top-5
#5: Jalen Duren, Center, Memphis
Duren has had some monster performances this season and looks like one of the best rim protectors in the draft.
He would give the Detroit Pistons the size they currently lack, as he is 6-foot-11, 250 lbs. and has a massive 7-foot-5 wingspan. He is more of a traditional center but would fit well as a lob threat on the pick-and-roll and shot blocker.
However, Duren is still very raw and will be just 18-years-old at the time of the draft, so he is a project and the Pistons might not want another one of those.
If they drop out of the top four in the 2022 NBA Draft, Duren will get a look, as he satisfies a need even if he doesn’t have the superstar ceiling of some of the other guys at the top.
I don’t think most Pistons’ fans would be happy with this choice, as Duren isn’t a flashy name, but this guy has “solid 10-year pro with All-Star potential” written all over him.
Detroit Pistons 2022 NBA Draft big board top-5
#4: Jaden Ivey, Shooting Guard, Purdue
Most of the talk around this draft has focused on the bigs, but Jaden Ivey might be the best long-term fit with Cade Cunningham.
The Pistons desperately need shooting and Ivey is hitting 44 percent from long range this season and would offer the kind of floor spacer Cade needs.
He would also allow the Pistons to move Killian Hayes to the bench, where he can be the primary ball handler, which is what he is good at. If the Pistons are just going to have Hayes stand in the corner and shoot threes, they may as well trade him, as that his not his strength and he needs the ball in his hands.
Ivey is a good defender and rebounder as well, and would give Detroit a dynamic young backcourt and really open up the offense for Cade Cunningham. Imagine Cade kicking out to a guy who can actually shoot. Dare to dream.
#3: Paolo Banchero, Forward, Duke
I honestly don’t think the Detroit Pistons can go wrong with any of these top three guys and if they ended up with Banchero, fans should be excited.
Ultimately, I hope the Pistons do not trade Jerami Grant and then are able to draft a guy who could push him to small forward, giving them more size up and down the lineup.
Banchero is one of the best athletes in this group, a high flyer that Detroit lacks outside of Hamidou Diallo. He has great size for a forward and projects as a guy who will be able to hit the NBA 3-pointer, so he checks a lot of boxes for Detroit.
Detroit Pistons 2022 NBA Draft big board top-5
#2: Chet Holmgren, Center, Gonzaga
I have heard all of the concerns about Holmgren’s lack of size and strength, which is eerily reminiscent of how people talked about Kevin Durant, who was also rail thin coming out of college. Portland went with the guy who looked like a 45 year old man instead and the rest is history.
I am not saying Holmgren is Durant by any means but it’s hard to pass up a seven-footer who can do the kinds of things he can do. People forget that Durant is a seven footer because he is so smooth with the ball, but part of the reason his shot is so unstoppable is because HE IS TALL.
I know that is simplistic, but a seven footer who can put the ball on the floor and shoot threes is not a common occurrence. Even if Holmgren never becomes an elite scorer, he is generational shot blocker who is averaging 3.6 per game and can absolutely win games with his defense.
Yes, he has some flaws, but if the Detroit Pistons walked away from the draft with Holmgren, I’d be excited.
I think his shot blocking consistency has moved him up the board a bit and the fact that he is shooting 37 percent from long range doesn’t hurt.
#1: Jabari Smith, Forward, Auburn
Rarely does a team get to draft for both need and potential, but Jabari Smith would offer the Detroit Pistons that chance.
He has the kind of size they need. He has the potential to be an elite defender who can guard multiple spots on the floor. He can rebound and most importantly, he is a lights-out shooter who is hitting 45 percent of his 3-point shots on over five attempts per game, not bad for a guy who is 6-foot-10.
He shoots 83 percent from the line, a good sign those 3-point numbers are not a fluke and the idea of him and Cade Cunningham in the pick and roll is very appealing, as their size and ability to shoot would make them tough to stop.
Smith is also younger than Banchero, Ivey and Holmgren, a full year younger than Chet.
Because he checks every box and has the type of high-ceiling potential the Pistons need, I am putting Jabari Smith at the top of the Detroit big board for now.