The Detroit Pistons will have all of their good luck charms in hand tonight during the NBA Draft Lottery, where the direction of the franchise could be altered forever.
The Pistons have a 14 percent chance of living the dream and landing the #1 pick for the 2nd time in three years, and the chance to add Victor Wembanyama to a team that already has Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.
Of course, fans are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, which would be the Pistons’ logo on the other side of the card with the big five on it.
Dropping in the NBA Draft would be disappointing to say the least, but Detroit would still have a great chance to land an impact player.
Here are the best case scenarios for the top five guys, though there is certainly plenty of argument about who those players are once you get past the #1 pick.
Detroit Pistons: Player comparisons for the top NBA Draft prospects
#5: Cam Whitmore
Best-case scenario: Miles Bridges
Worst-case scenario: Saddiq Bey
You could certainly slot other players here, and there is definitely no consensus that Whitmore is going in the top five. Jarace Walker would be in play, as would one of the Thompson twins, Anthony Black or even Taylor Hendricks.
But we’ll stick Whitmore here for now. He is an athletic wing with a questionable shot who has potential as a two-way player. He’s physically strong enough to defend a couple of positions, but is not great at creating his own shot, so his ceiling may be defined by how good he is defensively and whether he can hit the NBA 3-point shot consistently.
Detroit Pistons: Player comparisons for the top NBA Draft prospects
#4: Amen Thompson
Best-case scenario: Ja Morant
Worst-case scenario: Ben Simmons
These are two extreme comparisons here, but Thompson is an Uber-athletic playmaker who can’t shoot, basically a taller version of Ja Morant. If he is able to finish at the rim and more importantly, knock down some jumpers, he has that kind of athletic potential.
But if that jumper never comes? Will he turn into a Ben Simmons, a player who is talented at everything else but who you don’t have to guard because he can’t shoot? He’s not as big as Simmons, nor as good a defensive prospect, but he has that kind of all-around skill and athleticism.
If Thompson develops a league-average 3-point shot, he’s going to be tough to stop and could end up being the best wing in this draft.
#3: Brandon Miller
Best-case scenario: Paul George
Worst-case scenario: Michael Porter Jr.
Brandon Miller has the size, shooting ability and defensive potential to be a top two-way wing in the NBA at some point. If he wants to be the next Paul George, he’ll have to improve as a finisher and with getting more separation from defenders.
The 3-point shooting is there, as is the play-making ability, and there is no reason why Miller can’t develop into a very good defender.
At the very least, he should be a guy who can score 15 points per game, spread the floor and play adequate defense, in the vein of Michael Porter Jr. He’d be a fit on the Detroit Pistons either way.
Detroit Pistons: Player comparisons for the top NBA Draft prospects
#2: Scoot Henderson
Best-case scenario: Derrick Rose
Worst-case scenario: John Wall
These are two lofty comparisons for Henderson, who is a super athletic finisher who can set up teammates and get to the rim at will.
He definitely is hoping for better injury luck for these two, but in the best-case scenario, he could be a guy who scores 25+ points per game and adds 8-9 assists as Derrick Rose did in his MVP season.
John Wall was also a very good player, so you could argue that Scoot’s floor is lower, especially if he doesn’t improve as a shooter. But he just turned 19-years-old, and has skills that you can’t teach like being able to power your way to the rim and finish. Will that style take it’s toll as it did on the two players above? Will his lack of a 3-point shot lower his ceiling considerably in the modern NBA?
#1: Victor Wembanyama
Best-case scenario: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Worst-case scenario: Rudy Gobert
Victor Wembanyama’s ceiling may ultimately be defined by his ability to stay on the floor, but if he can, he has the potential to be the best two-way player in the NBA. Think of Giannis with a better shot, or Kevin Durant with better defense.
At the very least, Wembanyama is going to be a defensive menace, as his length allows him to defend whole sections of the floor and every offense he plays against is going to have to adjust and account for him.
If he keeps improving as a 3-point shooter, he’ll be impossible to stop and will be able to shoot over anyone, as Durant does now. There hasn’t been a player with more two-way potential since LeBron James and Wembanyama’s potential if he can stay healthy really doesn’t have a comparison.