Are the Detroit Pistons “going to be great next year?”

Detroit Pistons: Lottery odds

Part of the plan is obviously to “get a high pick again,” as the Pistons stink and are likely to end up near the top of the draft.

Let’s hope there is far more to the plan than that, as relying on the NBA Draft to bail you out is like buying lottery tickets to pay your mortgage.

Currently, the Detroit Pistons have the second-worst record in the NBA, just percentage points behind Houston, who has one fewer win and loss.

This would give the Pistons maximum odds to get the #1 pick, but those odds are still just a meager 14 percent, so there is an 86 percent chance Victor Wembanyama is not coming to the Motor City, hardly inspiring.

Even when you factor in the odds for the second pick, we are still at just 27.4 percent, so it’s a long shot under the best circumstances. With the second-worst record, the Pistons could drop all the way to the 6th pick, though their highest odds for any one pick would be the 5th.

Considering most think there are two potential superstars at the top and then a lot of question marks, choosing 5th or 6th would be fairly devastating to the plan. Of course the Pistons could still find a great player there, but the odds of that dip and it becomes more of a crapshoot.

Even if the player they choose turns out to be great, it likely won’t happen next season, as even Scoot Henderson is far from NBA ready. There is only one player in this draft who is guaranteed to make a big impact next season, and the Detroit Pistons have a 14 percent chance of getting him.