NBA Draft: Is one of the “Big 3” going to fall to the Detroit Pistons?

We are less than a month away from the 2022 NBA Draft in which the Detroit Pistons have the 5th pick.

It was disappointing when they fell to 5th, as this has long been billed as a draft that had a “Big 3” that was a notch ahead of the rest.

Media has been penciling Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith into those top three spots for months, but as combine workouts and interviews are being completed, we are seeing some wavering in that thought process.

I asked recently if there was really a “Big 3” in a draft where no one can agree on the best player, and we’re starting to see the same questions asked by scouts.

https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1529167350695706628

The questions about Jaden Ivey going in the top three got even louder after a packed house of team representatives and scouts was wowed by Ivey’s workout, with one scout calling him “Russell Westbrook with a jumpshot.”

With Ivey looking like he might go in the top-3, it would only take the Kings to make a surprising pick for one of the “Big 3” to fall to the Detroit Pistons.

So who is it most likely to be?

Detroit Pistons draft: Which of the “Big 3” might fall in the 2022 NBA Draft?

Of the “Big 3,” I think Chet Holmgren is the most likely to fall to the Detroit Pistons. Here is how it could happen.

Orlando Magic: It looks like the Magic are going to take Jabari Smith, and even if they don’t, he is the least likely to fall out of the top-4, as he is a fit with every team in the lottery. His floor is as high as anyone’s and his elite shooting potential (and the fact that the Magic already have money tied up in two centers) will make him the number one pick.

Oklahoma City Thunder: It has been assumed that OKC would just take Chet Holmgren here, but are we sure that is going to happen? Aside from all of the Ivey talk, there is some concern that Holmgren is going to be the next Aleksej Pokusevski , giving the Thunder two skinny, skilled guys who are not a great fit together. The comparison is ridiculous and only being made because they are both skinny white guys, as their games are very different.

But if the Thunder feel that way, I could see them trading down from this spot or just taking Paolo Banchero, who is the much safer pick. There are a lot of moving parts with the Thunder considering they have a TON of future draft picks, so they are one to watch, as they could try to pool some of their assets together to make a move or trade back and grab even more.

Houston Rockets: The Rockets are another team I could see taking a flyer on Ivey, as the Warriors have shown that having three guards who can score is tough to stop. If the Thunder grabbed Ivey with #2, then the Rockets would almost certainly take Paolo Banchero. Remember, the Detroit Pistons need two teams in the top-4 to pass on the “Big 3” for one of them to fall.

Sacramento Kings: Enter the Kangz, the biggest wildcard in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Kings will likely decide who the Detroit Pistons select, and right now it is anyone’s guess which direction Sacramento will go. The Kings have been connected to Shaedon Sharpe, Keegan Murray and Dyson Daniels among others, so there is really no telling what they will do. The Kings already gave two quality guards in De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell and Holmgren is a nice fit with Domantas Sabonis, so if Holmgren falls, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Kings take him. But I wouldn’t be surprised at anything the Kings do, so if they took Murray, Sharpe or Daniels at four, I wouldn’t be shocked.

It is getting more obvious that draft experts do not consider this a three-player draft and that the consensus among media may not reflect what NBA executives and scouts are thinking.