With the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery scheduled for May 17th, the Detroit Pistons have once again stumbled upon the best possible lottery odds. The Magic and Rockets are also poised for a very high selection, and everyone in the Motor City is hoping the Pistons can repeat and draft first overall.
Outside of Detroit, there are also some lottery events that Detroit fans should be rooting for. Of course, everyone wants Cade to be paired with elite young talent, but what about the rest of the draft lottery? What could that mean for Detroit? Pistons fans should tune in and pay close attention to the results of the lottery. It will change the NBA landscape, as it does every year, and results that seem far removed from a home could have lasting effects in Detroit.
NBA Draft lottery: Detroit Pistons should hope the West Does Well
Seemingly obvious, but it would be best for Detroit if the better young players go to the Western Conference. That way, the Pistons would only have to play them twice a year instead of four times, which is a pretty clear-cut advantage.
Unfortunately, only six of the 14 lottery teams are in the West. This means the East, as usual, had the weakest teams, though it’s getting close. The Pistons should hope that they get a top pick and that the rest of them go to the West, keeping more talent on the other side of the Mississippi.
Of course, all that talent in the West is only an advantage if the Pistons decide to actually try and win games. After two seasons of tanking, they should finally make a run at being a competitive franchise, so being in the weaker conference might even allow them to make a playoff run.
Plus, all these rookies will be on the teams that draft them for several seasons, so keeping them away for as long as possible would be a massive advantage. The Thunder, Kings, Blazers, Spurs, Lakers (or Pelicans, or Grizzlies), and Clippers are all in the lottery. None of them are a top-three team, and most of them are outside of the top seven, but with a little luck, the Pistons could keep the good players away from the conference. If you don’t feel lucky going into the lottery, I don’t know when you would feel lucky at all.