NBA 2022 mock draft: Worst-case-scenario for the Pistons
The Detroit Pistons have the second-worst record in the NBA and there is a good chance they will end up in this spot by the end of the season.
Their recent loss to Orlando didn’t change their lottery odds and the only difference between having the worst record and the second-worst is that the Pistons could drop out of the top-five of the 2022 NBA Draft.
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The same was true last season and Detroit still got the number one pick and Cade Cunningham, so for me, wins are more important than any slight change in lottery odds, which probably won’t happen anyway.
Fans of the Detroit Pistons have locked in on the top-3 picks, as they have set themselves apart from the pack and all three would fill a need.
But what happens in the worst-case-scenario where the Pistons drop all the way to the 6th pick? That’s what happened in this spin of the Tankathon lottery simulator.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #1
Auburn / Oklahoma City Thunder. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Forward. Jabari Smith. 1. 149
I think you can make an argument for any of the top-3 guys to go #1 but Smith has played himself into this top spot by taking his team to a 20-1 record.
Auburn is now number one in the country and Smith has been amazing on both ends. Questions about his defense are going away with every block and steal, and Smith can flat out make shots even draped in defenders.
He is shooting over 40 percent from long range and would be a perfect complement to Cade Cunningham if the Pistons were to get the top pick again.