The Detroit Pistons didn’t get lucky in the NBA Draft Lottery, dropping all the way to 5th after having the worst record in the league.
The results were devastating only because there is a potential superstar at the top, but the Detroit Pistons can still find a very good player with the 5th pick, just as they did in the last draft.
In fact, the drop off from one is pretty steep this year, so it will just come down to making the right choice and getting the best player available when the 5th pick comes up. In this draft, the 5th pick is as likely to be a star as the 2nd or 3rd.
Troy Weaver’s work is just getting started, as he still needs to hire a coach and then turn his attention to the draft and free agency in his quest to make the Pistons competitive next season when Cade Cunningham returns.
If the Pistons had beaten the 86 percent odds against them and landed the #1 pick, the free agency priorities would be clear, as Wemby would have slid into the power forward spot, so Detroit could turn their attention to getting a complementary wing player.
With the 5th pick, things aren’t so clear and the Detroit Pistons will have to re-think their free agency priorities.
Detroit Pistons: How did the NBA Draft Lottery change free agency?
The Detroit Pistons are most likely to use their pick on one of the forwards from a group that includes Amen/Ausar Thompson, Cam Whitmore and Jarace Walker, though they could go with a sleeper like Taylor Hendricks or Anthony Black.
Aside from Walker these are all guard/wing players who could immediately help the Pistons’ lack of wing depth. If they went with a guy like Whitmore, the attention then might turn to getting a power forward or hybrid in free agency. A guy like Jerami Grant is a possibility, as he can play both forward positions.
Grant Williams would be another possibility, as he can play both spots and like Jerami Grant, would be a boost to the Pistons’ shooting. Adding a wing player in the draft makes it less imperative that the Pistons get strictly a perimeter player in free agency, as hopefully the 5th pick can come in a play that role.
Even players like Draymond Green (no) and Kristaps Porzingis (hmmm) make more sense now that the Pistons can potentially bolster their wing depth in the draft.
None of these draft prospects are considered elite 3-point shooters, so the Pistons could also look for a shooter in free agency to fill that role off the bench.
Building around Wembanyama would have been easier of course, but missing out on him may have opened up more options in free agency, as Detroit can extend their search beyond wing players.
It’s not exactly a silver lining to the biggest draft drop in franchise history, but Detroit still has myriad ways to improve and could be very active in free agency.