The Detroit Pistons hope another season of losing turns into a superstar in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Victor Wembanyama is the only sure thing at #1 and whatever team is lucky enough to win the NBA Draft Lottery will almost certainly call his name.
But after that there is a lot of uncertainty. For most of the season, draft experts had Scoot Henderson locked in at number two, putting him and Wembanyama in tiers above the rest of the group.
But a couple of things have conspired to demolish the consensus, as freshman Brandon Miller is having a monster season for Alabama and some of the teams vying for the top picks do not need another guard.
The Detroit Pistons are one of them, which is why there are a number of wild scenarios that could pop up if the Pistons were to land the #2 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
With Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey already on board, the Pistons could decide to trade back if they were lucky enough to get the 2nd pick, or there could be a prospect they like even better than Henderson.
Pistons draft: Would Detroit pass on Scoot Henderson for Brandon Miller?
The Pistons could decide to use the 2nd pick in a trade, but they could also use it to grab the wing of the future.
According to HoopsHype, the Detroit Pistons are one of the teams doing their due diligence on Brandon Miller and could see him as an option with the second pick.
"“NBA teams have intensified their due diligence on Miller’s off-court background, and any team with a Top 5 selection is expected to question him at length on the incident during pre-draft meetings.There’s a belief from some around the league that the Pistons could take a close look at Miller if they get the second overall pick in the lottery.”"
Miller is the more obvious fit considering he plays a position of need and has the type of shooting that can spread the floor for the two guards Detroit already has.
One of the problems with the G-League is that we don’t get to see the players enough. Scoot Henderson has already been shut down, while Miller will play at least one more high profile game in the NCAA Tournament, which will get him more exposure.
Would that and potential fit be enough to move Detroit away from a guy many consider the better prospect in Henderson? This may be the first draft where teams really have to gauge what the G-League means vs. playing in college.
If Detroit did get the second pick, Miller might be the play, but whatever decision they make is going to be highly scrutinized as the Pistons try to pivot towards being a winner.