2022 NBA Mock Draft: Detroit Pistons choose 3rd but get best player
The Detroit Pistons currently find themselves embroiled in another battle for the bottom, as they are just a half game ahead of Houston and Orlando for the worst record in the league.
The Pistons would love to put the restoration in overdrive by drafting another elite talent to pair with Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart for the long term.
While there is no consensus on the top pick, three players have separated themselves from the pack and the Detroit Pistons would love to get one of them.
In this version of our mock 2022 NBA Draft, we just kept the standings as is and didn’t shuffle things up, so the Pistons get the 3rd pick.
We’ve looked at what might happen in the worst-case scenario, as well as what the Detroit Pistons might do if they landed the #1 pick.
But what about #3? If the Detroit Pistons are lucky enough to get the 3rd pick, they might still end up with the best player.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #1
Pick Analysis. Gonzaga / Orlando Magic. Scouting Report. Forward/Center. Chet Holmgren. 1. player. 38
Even though there is no consensus at the top, and Chet Holmgren didn’t have the most satisfying NCAAA Tournament, I still think he will ultimately go first no matter who gets the pick.
Some people are down on the level of competition he faced or the fact that he is skinny, but in the end, his combination of height and skill are going to be too tempting to pass on, as he has Kevin Durant with Rudy Gobert’s shot blocking potential and there just isn’t anyone else whose ceiling is this high.
That doesn’t mean Chet will be the best player, but I do think he’ll be the number one pick and Orlando would be a great fit, as he would be a nice complement to the bigs and guards they already have.